In Need of Saving
by Xnighite
Summary: As Xerath struggles to achieve a powerful objective, many unexpected events have forced their way upon him. With the growing desire to destroy the enchantment that suffocates his true form, the key is within grabbing distance. However, Xerath becomes unclear to either accept his once human counterparts, or to accept that he is a new scourge upon Valoran.
1. Chapter 1: Unexpected Meetings

The war scarred land croaked and groaned as the blue arcane being glided quietly through. His very essence throbbed as the location he desired called out faintly to him.

Annoyed with the thought of his actions being conveyed as foolish by the League, he had no choice; they were the ones who forced him to play the cards they unknowingly dealt. He knew it was taxing enough to step outside of The Institution of War and into the Marshes of Kaladoun without their "consented permission".

His sarcophagus twitched from disgust.

_No one shall dare control me._

He was certain the moment he returned they would force him into a cell specially designed to contain him for perhaps another millennium. _As long as it's not this cursed enchantment that subdues my true form, it will not hold me forever…_

As the dense trail began another sharp turn, a sleek black object blurred past him into a tree near his mask. Instinctively, he responded with attaching himself to the ground, ethereal hands agitating to fire.

Five more black blurs were lobbed towards him, giving him little time to react. Using the broken sarcophagus on his arms to shield his weak frame, resounding thwacks confirmed their hits upon the enchantment.

Quickly taking a peek past his armor, he was taken aback by the champion standing in front of him. She held a strange katana in one hand while the other was getting ready to fire more blades; he could have easily mistaken her for a ninja of Ionia, but he knew that cocky grin of hers too well.

Katarina throws the third wave of blades and begins her sprint towards his grounded form.

"It's not even a fair fight, huh Xerath?" Katarina teased, a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Unlatching from the deep rock, Xerath pulls quickly to the side dodging the blades; he retorted back with a fierce heave of a glowing indigo orb. She took the magic head on, ignoring the pain as it tingled across her left shoulder. Katarina gracefully moved to the side, her jacket's sleeve shredded into ribbons as a menacing surge of arcane power swept past her.

Leaping into the air the world around her slowed, her eyes closing slowly as her body twisted into a delicate arc over him. Eyes opening again, she landed a top of Xerath's bulky frame and punctured her katana sharply into his neck; instead of severing his mask, it was pulled from her grasp and into his core, the hilt of the blade protruding like a thorn.

Frowning, she leapt backwards off him, skidding a few inches as she touched back down while unsheathing her other sword.

Xerath's core blazed with an unfathomable fury as the hatred towards the swift woman began to consume his judgment. He craved for nothing more than to smear her existence out of reality.

Stone mask lowered, Xerath raised both fisted hands skyward, bringing them near his form, and pulled them rapidly away from each other, claws unfurled. The clouds above contorted into a grey mass, lightning surging through them until it erupted downwards onto Katarina's location. The blinding indigo energy stained the air with electricity sending a shockwave of uncontained power into the landscape.

Katarina was apparently not able to completely dodge as part of her left arm was darkened, blood slowly trickling from the crack-like wounds.

Looking away from the injury, she smirked at Xerath.

His eyes widen at her jubilant expression, fresh irritation coursing into him when part of his left arm crumbled to the soil. Grasping at the missing chunk, Xerath could feel his own power being drained from him.

_What has she done to me? _His mind shouted while trying to piece together the sequence of the fight. He slowly drifted to his knees, barely able to lift his stone cranium to see the assassin walking proudly towards him.

As her shadow fell over his weakened form, part of him was ready for the shattering of the sarcophagus and his arcane body. It would just require him more time to reach his destination. Her hand grabbed the hilt of the blade still attached to him making his energy ripple.

Just as she gave a slight tug, a large bush next to her exploded as a small being flung themself in front of Xerath. Katarina instantly balked, not taking the blade with her, as she faced her new enemy.

The being was shrouded within a brown cloak, the hood pulled over their face. Standing defensively in front of him, they gave no notion of moving.

Katarina condescendingly regarded the intruding traveler. "You must be joking."

In a flash Katarina stood next to them; as time slowed once more, she could see them sluggishly spinning to face her. She brought out one of her small blades and diced away at the traveler. Sudden gashes were sliced into their skin as they tried to defend themselves. In a matter of seconds Katarina had forced the stranger to collapse, not even bothering to finish the job.

The air was abruptly alive with arcane power again.

"Oh no―" was all she could shriek as two more colossal bolts of lightning streaked out of the clouds and on top of her.

After a few seconds and barely conscious, Katarina shakily picked herself up and looked into Xerath's face as he too stood clinging to his injured body. "We'll end this later." In another flash she disappeared, leaving her target behind.

Xerath stood ready for a few minutes, waiting for her to double-cross him and throw another blade into his back. The land was quiet as the mage hesitantly looked about. But she never came back. Signing he finally lets his sight drift over to the fallen traveler. He could see a small pool of blood forming around one leg; their chest rose and fell shakily as the being rested on their left side.

He glided next to them, observing the precision of the cuts along their arms and legs. They were of a feminine stature, long brown hair cascading down her shoulders as she carefully leaned herself up. As her hood fell away, it revealed but a glimpse of a white complex tattoo inscribed onto her flesh. He could see the other bits of it beneath her wounds; it covered her form head to toe.

Wincing she looked upon him, eyes widening in a kind of admiration. "Ch-Champion Xerath," she choked out trying to stand up, "I have come requesting for your aid. Forgive my intrusion."

"How did you find me?" He questioned, knowing he was very meticulous about not expressing his life to anyone. Then again he might have said something to someone, but he could not place doing so as of late.

"Forgive me. I-I had received information during a match that you were going to make your way through the marshlands." She hastily added, "no one but myself knew about your location."

Turning her face to the side, she whispered, "Or so I thought…"

Xerath then straightened up letting his arms fall to the side, hands fisted. "Summoner, why were you intruding my thoughts?"

The only ones who could truly possible know of his whereabouts were the summoners. Through their mind links, he might have accidentally given away information, although he was exceptional at not letting such things occur. Something odd must have happened during one of his more troublesome matches.

Upon his request she had looked down at the dirt like a child. When no reply was given, he turned away and began to make his way back to the small town he had past about three miles ago.

Raising one hand out to the side, he twisted his claws in to an empty grasp, summoning the pieces of his sarcophagus back to him. While reshaping and stabilizing his arm, he required more time to finish healing and figure out why Katarina had come for him. The townspeople would hopefully leave him be as he wandered through their streets.

Inquisitively tilting his mask, he struggled to come up with a reason for the provocation; it just didn't add up.

"Wait, please..." Her voice cried out hesitantly. He turned around to see her standing shakily as she gripped her arms, shoulders sagging in defeat. "I have truthfully been searching for you. Without your help, my situation will go completely sour."

As the summoner tried to walk in his direction, her feet barely lifting up, the slices wreaked havoc on her muscles. Xerath saw her forcing too much energy in maintaining her awareness. The way her lips held in a tight pale line told him she was not going to last much longer.

Before the last though finished crossing his mind, she stumbled not being able to catch herself as her muscles resisted any desired movement. Pitching forward, her thoughts started to fade unaware of her nerves becoming utterly numb.

Reflexively, Xerath rushed to catch her as her eyes rolled into her head; breaking her fall before she connected to the ground, he was forced to stoop to compensate for the extra weight. He then gently laid her down, taking off her cloak and draping it across her body.

Looking closer at her appearance, he became stunned by the unexpected realization of her resemblance to Tabia…_Why do you remind me of her so?_

Human memories of the past bubbled to the surface making him cringe. Memories of joy, of happiness, as he stood next to Tabia grew overpowering; then came the feelings of utter ruin as he watched her being crushed by the temple. The temple of his own ascension, where his mortal life ended and he was reborn as an arcane being of power.

Steeling himself, Xerath brought his attention back to the summoner. Her eyelids were halfway open as she pleaded for him to not leave.

"Don't go, please. The League told me I may perhaps find solace in you, that you could help me from my predicament."

Xerath grew troubled at the mention of the League; they never send anybody his way for any and all reasons. They had personally deemed him untrustworthy from the mere mention of that petty mage Ryze.

Ryze was partly at fault for why so many despised him at the beginning of his champion life.

Looking away from the summoner deep in thought, he stood back up and disappeared into the flora and fauna of the marshlands, his blue glow almost hidden.

"Wait…!" She hoarsely whimper, only capably of turning her head in his direction.

His blue light grew fainter until it was nothing but the shades of the setting sun covering the land. Turning her head skywards, she gazed longingly at the clouds until a tight crushing sensation filled her chest. Soon, hot tears rolled down her face as the pain grew in volume; she was certain Xerath would have  
taken up her plea and yet he had left her, probably to die in this horrid place.

She couldn't even muster the strength to wipe the tears away as her mind began its decent into darkness. _Maybe he really is as bad as everyone else made him out to be…_

Just then Xerath came hastily out of the forest with one of the more savage-type marshland creatures biting down on the sarcophagus; his hand was fully ingested within its mouth. He tried to fling it off, but its sharp teeth dug further in until he huffed and sent out a small shock wave. Quickly releasing him, the large scaly beast ran back into the fauna, hissing crossly.

"Cursed wildlife…" Xerath mumbled irritably to himself as he glided back over to the summoner.

In the hand the beast fought for tersely was a small but plentiful heap of green berries. He then allowed some of his energy to make contact with the fruit; it cooked into a mass of pulp and juices, some of it rising up in vapor. Taking the messy pulp, he applied it over the dozens of incisions that laced her.

Glancing over to her face, he quickly notes her unconsciousness as her appearance was twisted in pain; her breathing was growing more rapid and shallow.

Blood, mixed with the plant, caked to his claw-like hands and enchantment as he finished dressing her wounds. The sun had finally set with the nocturnal creatures and insects orchestrating their nightly tunes; his arcane energy was the only source of light for miles around.

Picking her up, Xerath started to make his way back towards the town, troubled by growing suspensions and Katarina coming back to try and finished what she started.

The summoner rested within both of his arms, some of his sarcophagus pulled beneath her while her head lolled against one of his chains. Even with the raw ointment placed on her wounds, some of the incisions started to bleed again, the blood boiling away as it touched part of his energy.

As he gazed upon her small stature, pangs of emotions thought to be lost welled up again within his core.

Fixating his attention back to the dirt path, he could not help but feel rather mystified with himself at the compliance of aiding a summoner. Ancient unrefined emotions simmered over Xerath's thoughts, making him shift awkwardly in his puzzlement. He knew this was an excellent way of getting on the good side of the League, but still.

They were the ones who controlled him, to run down lanes, help guard and protect other champions who, most of the time, cared little to nothing about his own well-being on the Fields of Justice. What he hated most about such control was the mistakes the summoners would ignorantly make leaving him with the consequences of their actions, yet he saw many of the risks in time but could not say or do anything about it.

Xerath's arcane energy blazed a hue brighter as his temper began to escalate; the female summoner unconsciously replied with tilting her head slightly into his chained chest.

He immediately felt remorse for not stopping Katarina sooner. No damage would have come to the summoner if he was just faster in his actions, which would have not placed him into the situation he was in now; being caught off guard was not an easy thing for him to counter. In many ways, he suppose, she saved him from going through the long process of gaining his form back.

_What is wrong with me? I should not be feeling sorry for her foolish actions. _And yet, a warming sensation filled his essence as he tried to explain away her boldness.

Minutes slowly turned into hours as the magus made his way towards the town that was yet to be insight.

Finally, he spotted a soft yellow glow of a lantern, and then another until the lights marked out a pathway into the streets. The town was quiet with many house lights dim or nonexistent.

Xerath made his way to the tavern that sat at the eastern edge, one side connected to civilization while the other side of the building gave way to rolling darkness. The structure was about two stories tall, made of a special wooden material. If his own light had not given him away yet, he was certain stepping in there would.

He would have rather made camp alongside the road and away from places such as these. But the summoner needed a good place to rest, and the sooner he dropped her off, the faster he could get back to his own mission.

Making his way towards the entrance, a figure suddenly stepped out of the darkness, slightly setting Xerath on edge.

She wore a stripped top hat and purple dress with Hextech leather straps wrapped around her legs; large boots seemingly swallowed her feet as they ended at her calves. Resting against her back was a long rifle, one of the few weapons that was capable of out ranging him on the Fields of Justice. One gloved hand was resting against her hip while she gave him a discontent stare.

"Good evening, Xerath. Where have you been for the past seven hours?"

Xerath just looked at her, trying not to seem self-important. "Nice to see you too, Caitlyn." It seemed the day would not end with the unexpected meetings. He was starting to fall into a foul mood with conversing with other champions.

"I was requested by the Institute to come fetch you from whatever task you have been up to." Caitlyn persisted, ignoring his greeting, "The League doesn't like it when one of their own suddenly disappears without reason from scheduled matches." Caitlyn scanned him up and down until her gaze fell onto the summoner. "What are you doing anyways?"

"I'm just here to drop something off." Xerath stiffened. He had no reason to explain himself to her, but the mention of the League already searching for him was slightly intriguing.

"That looks more like a 'someone'," she walked over towards him to get a better view of the girl. Looking over the summoner more closely, her eyebrows furrowed together as she observed the blood and several blades stuck in his sarcophagus. Bringing her head back up to look into what constituted as his face, she crossed her arms leisurely, "What exactly happened? Did you run over her?"

"It's of no concern to you, sheriff. And no, I did not hurt the girl." Xerath growled, lowering his mask at an angle, the openings to his eyes becoming slits. Caitlyn seemed to have taken no notice of his tone and kept talking.

"You know, this isn't looking good for you on your part. Especially if the League finds out whatever _had_ happened here." She motioned with her hand at him, expressing his overall stature. Signing, Xerath knew he was going to need her cooperation if he wanted her to stay silent. Even if he told the League of his own account of what happened, she could easily counter him and win for they automatically trusted the story of a sheriff over the story of an ancient and dangerous mage.

Xerath stood firm, not wanting to show that she was getting to him, "A lot of activity has happened to me as of late, and so far the consequences I have been enduring is to protect this injured girl until she is residing someplace safe."

"You know," Caitlyn gestured again with her hands, "I can help you with this. But, you've got to tell me what's actually going on." Her stare seemed to have softened as she looked into his glowing sockets. "You seem like you could use some help, anyways."

Caitlyn glanced over her shoulders at the tavern then back to Xerath. "I can help you get the girl a room while you tell me what ensued this mess." He stood quietly looking also at the building and nodded his head in agreement. She then reached over to take a hold of the summoner; Xerath immediately became defensive as he brought one of his clawed hands protectively over her. Caitlyn backed away quickly, noticing his sudden agitation.

He was partly responsible for the damage dealt to the girl. Besides, she was a summoner, which outside of the eight major cities, it was dangerous for them. Any champion could turn around and kill her without a care in the world.

Anyone of them.

Although, at the same time he had just as much disdain for summoners as well. Whatever happened to them was not of his concern. So why had this single one affected him so much?

"No, I'll take her in myself." Caitlyn just gave him a long hard look as he repositioned his arm. She had known Xerath for not being the conversation-type. She only saw him in matches and outside of that he maintained a heavy air of mystery as to how he lived. When he did speak, it was always in a condescending tone, as if everyone else around him were irritating insects buzzing within his space.

"Fine. But let me do the talking at least. You're bound to intimidate them until they're rendered speechless." She made her way to the tavern's door and opened it without a second thought. Xerath quickly followed.

* * *

(Author's note)

Well then, I'm happy this idea came out in a coherent story. Xerath (if you can't tell) is my favorite champion of League of Legends; though not the strongest fighter, I'd say he's pretty fun to play when you just want to bring hell to your enemies. I plan to dish out a few more chapters, depending on how well it's received. I just think the mage needs a little bit of love Xd, since he's not brought up a whole lot. Reviews greatly welcomed.

(Disclaimer)

I do not own anything of the League of Legends, though if I could...


	2. Chapter 2: Sympathy

The tavern was free flowing with relaxed energy, mingling with Xerath's arcane form.

It was a well furnished inn, with some Hextech communicating crystals placed against the walls next to the entrance. There was only a handful of people sitting inside, some talking joyously towards each other while one or two of them sat silently at the bar, sipping away at their flavorful brews.

The innkeeper looked at Caitlyn warmly, the man's cheeks a soft rosy hue.

"Welcome to the Drunken' Rat. Well, well," the man chimed as he recognized her, "I wasn't expecting the company of a champion at my humble tavern,"

The man then looked behind her, his face dropping considerably, "I mean 'champions'."

Xerath hovered slightly away from the door as he gazed back at the innkeeper. The expression the man greeted him with quickly became apparent on the other customers. He grimaced at their sudden wariness, some of them giving him a sidelong stare. Ambiguously, his arms mostly shielded the summoner from their prying eyes, giving the illusion he was carrying some kind of bag.

Caitlyn ignored their sudden discomfort, placing one hand on the counter as she dropped a few coins. "Need one room for the night. Please send up someone tomorrow morning for a wake-up call."

The man looked back at her, doing a double-take. "Will you two be sharing a room?" She just gave a small grin, leaving the innkeeper to answer his own question.

"L-Last room on the left." The innkeeper stuttered as he handed her the room's key and pointed at the stairway. She gave him a polite nod and began to make her way up. Xerath started to glide after her, his glow softening the color of the inn.

"…Someone ought ta' smuth'er that annoyen' blue firefly…" mumbled one of the men at the bar. Xerath could detect high levels of toxicity rising off him.

He ignored the man's jest and was soon upstairs gliding down the hallway until he stopped at the entrance of the room.

It, too, was high in quality with a robust bed governing the center; to one side was a table filled with fresh fruit and wine. On the other side was a dresser which resided next to a large window, the curtains pulled closed. Several oil lamps lit the space with a yellow light, not being able to cancel out Xerath's own glow.

He allowed his energy to darken, taking away the harsh azure radiance that was for a moment covering everything. Caitlyn had rested her gun by the entrance as she observed Xerath.

He promptly drifted over to the bed laying the injured summoner down. Looking back up he was greeted again by the harsh nature of Caitlyn's tone.

"Am I going to have to guess what happened," she moved over to stand besides Xerath, picking up the summoner's cloak and placing it on the edge of the bed. "or are you going to tell me?"

He just stood there staring at her, unsure of how much information he should bring up. He was obviously not going to speak about his intended location; instead, he brought one of his hands up to his mask, looked away from her and examined one of the room's paintings.

"I was boldly attacked by Katarina. The girl tried to defend me, and in doing so fell victim to Katarina's assault." Her face began to animate as she rested her arms against her hips again. "I have no recollection of ever provoking her, or any reason why she would attack me." He then reached over and started to pull the short daggers from his enchantment.

"I can think of a few." Caitlyn mumbled under her breath.

Something strange had caught her attention as she looked over Xerath. "Wait." Caitlyn brought her hand up signaling for him to stay still.

Walking around him, she spotted the hilt of a blade protruding from his back. As she reached up to grab it, Xerath's core brightened considerably, his arcane energy rippling around it like water that was faintly touched.

Uncontrollably, his form shook as arcane tendrils whipped out. Caitlyn effortlessly dodged them as she spun backwards away from him.

Standing up to catch her breath, her expression altered ominously. "What on Valoran, Xerath, did you do that for?!"

"My deepest apologies," Xerath rotated his head to observe the silver and blue hilt, "I did not mean for that to happen."

The katana! It must be the reason for his sudden loss of power when he faced off against Katarina.

As he reached up to touch it, a powerful warding spell disrupted the energy of his hand forcing him to recoil. Jolting his hand away from the hilt, it reconstructed itself and stabilized as if nothing happened. A dark thought overshadowed his mind as he pieced together why Katarina carried the strange blade.

"What's wrong? Why do you have that blade lodged inside of you?" Caitlyn became distrustful of Xerath as a kind of negative sensation erupted from his core. He seemed to have gone from one extreme to another as he relaxed then intensified.

He looked at her, slits forming in uneasiness, "Caitlyn, can you to pull the blade out?" She just stared at him incredulously.

"There's no way I'm touching that thing again."

It was understandable why she would not do so, but he had to try. If his theory proved correct, he was in a whole new world of trouble, and even farther away from ever breaking the final enchantment upon him. The superiority complex that clung to him like a vise choked his own thoughts of asking Caitlyn desperately for help.

The summoner began to stir, her head groggily turning towards the two, eyes closed.

Straightening himself, he temporarily forgot his own predicaments. Caitlyn joined him as she watched Xerath ease the summoner back into sleep, hesitantly placing a claw delicately against her face, and pulsed. The tattooed girl acknowledged unconsciously as her muscles relaxed, a sign escaping her lips.

An awkward silence hung in the air between the two champions.

The sheriff grew puzzled as she stared at him; he wasn't exhibiting any of his normal unsympathetic characteristics as he tended to the injured girl. He was careful as he took a bowl of warm water and small green cloth from one of the bed stands, and cleaned away the blood and grim that covered her. Xerath then redressed her arms and legs with bandage wraps, completely hiding the caramel complexion of her extremities.

_He is not acting at all like how he does at the Institute._

"Xerath," Caitlyn began, sitting down at the table, crossing her legs as she picked up a small fruit, "I know you are not fond of me, or for any other champion for that matter," He stopped to look at her, bringing himself to full height.

"But I am genuinely amazed you would show even the slightest of concern for another. Why are you helping her? And why did you pick a fight with Katarina? Don't give me some incompetent answer either if you know what's good for you." She nodded towards her rifle, warning of an impending fight outside of the League's jurisdiction if he resisted. Nibbling on the fruit, Caitlyn looked intently at him waiting for a proper response.

He was used to being scrutinized by everyone, but he wasn't prepared for the observation she gave.

If he still had skin, he would have been shuddering in discomfort as the cunning woman challenged him. Any other time he would have scoffed at such things, but his mind was in much need of some space and time to think. He then gazed back insensitively at the injured girl, memories of Tabia resurfacing once more.

Xerath was grateful that his expressions could not be read knowing fully that his face would have betrayed his 'heart'. He goes over to Caitlyn and sits in the chair opposite of her, one of his arms relaxing on the table while his mask rested atop of the other.

"I help the girl because of my own reasons."

Caitlyn brings her head down, her eyebrows pulled up as she skeptically stared at him. Xerath just shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to push the matter any further.

"And for the record," he added dryly, "I did not start that fight… I am also positive that she didn't want to battle me either..." The two just watched each other, waiting for the other to crack; Xerath wouldn't as he had millennia to practice balancing his state of mind, and Caitlyn was too strong willed to ever break under direct confrontations.

Caitlyn stood up and headed for the door. Looking over her shoulders she relaxed a bit, "You should leave her alone to rest. Unless there is a reason to protect her, I say we let her be." Smirking, she added, "I'm pretty sure you could use a drink."

She grabbed her gun and left the room before Xerath could protest against such notions of him being capable of consumption. Standing up with one clawed hand rubbing the back of his mask, more out of human habit than headache relief, he looked back over to the summoner. Her expression had changed from being pain-stricken to peaceful, her breathing even as her eyes moved frantically about beneath her eyelids.

A knotting sensation filled him again, leaving Xerath mildly confused. He then ducked out of the room and headed after Caitlyn, unanswered questions spiraling chaotically in his mentality. He needed to figure out why the blade continued to siphon his power, and how to destroy it.

(In the room...)

Back in the lavishing room, the summoner awoke with a start. She quickly sat up, temporarily regretting doing so as pain filled her arms. She slowly observed her body, noticing the cuts being skillfully treated.

Around her waist hung her small satchel, some of her blood caked against the material. Digging through it frantically she began to pull items out at random until a feeling of relief washed over her. In her hands laid a small blue orb, patterns just as intricate as her runic tattoo covered its entire surface.

"_Juniper..."_ she gently whispered, cupping the object near her face. It responded with a gentle glow, softening her features.

The summoner brings the object closer to her lips and murmurs a long complex chant. Upon the orb's surface the patterns danced around leisurely, growing in size away from the source until it encased her. The intricate markings on her body reacted with a white glow, vein-like in nature as it revealed itself beneath the bandages.

After a few minutes had passed, her chanting ceased and she signed as she stood up stretching. _Where am I? Did someone take pity on me and bring me to a safe location?_ The last coherent thing she could recall was the blue sentient being leaving her in the middle of the dirt pathway.

Anger and sadness flared within her; she wanted to give that high and mighty mage a piece of her mind.

She gently touched one on her legs as it resisted movement for a moment, and received a sharp tingling sensation_. I must have some kind of ointment placed across my wounds; how long is it going to last though?_

Grabbing and wrapping herself within the cloak, her hood almost hid her face as she repositioned her satchel; she then slowly made her way to the door.

Opening it slightly, she peeked out to see no one nearby. Closing it back, she hastily moved around the room, blowing out the individual lamps. The summoner then crossed over to the large windowpane, pulling the curtains back as she looked upon the dark marshland; a light drizzle fell from the sky shrouding the surrounding area in a hazy downpour of noise.

Opening the window, she gingerly stepped out onto the ledge. Once outside, she began her decent to the empty space between the wild marshland and the building, taking great care in climbing downwards until her shoes smacked the ground, a small puddle lapsing over her boots.

It was not her intention to not say thank you to her rescuer, but with the recent bandit activity she dared not take any unnecessary risks, unless she absolutely had to.

Not looking back, she limped away into the darkness, chanting another spell which allowed her tattoo to glow faintly. The rain started to pour harder as she pulled out a white crystal from her satchel.

(Back at the inn...)

Xerath had gone downstairs to sit at one of the tables that Caitlyn signaled for him to join. His core light was dimmed again as he sat down, waiting for the enforcer to start questioning him again.

Instead, she got up and walked over to the innkeeper motioning two of her fingers up as she leaned her chest onto the counter, one boot slightly off the ground.

The man behind the counter brought up two large mugs, filling them with the sweet and nauseating scent of rum; Xerath read from afar "Myron's Dark Rum" on the barrel as she came back with the drinks. A small smirk played across her soft lips, making Xerath open one of his sockets wider than the other.

Giggling, she sat down with the drinks, sliding one over in front of him, "The innkeeper thinks it is a shame I have an 'impossible' love interest with an abstract being of pure energy."

To this Xerath opened both eyes wide and looked back and forth between the innkeeper and Caitlyn; the man quickly looked away as he cleaned several mugs, his cheeks more rosy than from earlier. Caitlyn just granted another small laugh, and drunk away at her treat.

Settling back into his usual posture, Xerath eyed the beverage contemptuously, bringing his hands to its sides. He could feel the warmth radiating from it, and temporarily forgot his inability to consume physical matter. His own unusual senses could smell the aroma as it wafted in front of him, bringing his mask nearer to the tempting brew.

For a single moment, he felt like he had his human body back, his skin pricking at the idea of ingesting the delightful brew, memories once more stirring inside him as he thought about his lost family and friends.

In that fracture of a moment, Caitlyn had stopped to watch Xerath, somewhat perplexed at his reaction towards the liquor.

He had grabbed the drink, bringing it close to his mask, and closed his eyes. He just held it there, inches in front of him as he tried to discern between his arcane energy and memories of a living, breathing form. Before she could say anything, he had startled her with a merciful statement, his deep voice echoing sympathetically.

"I'm surprised that you would willingly come looking for me," his eyes locked onto hers, the mug still in front of his face, "I was fairly certain you had more pressing matters to deal with." She let the question hang in the air, setting her half-emptied rum on the table.

"To be honest, I protested against such a task, but the council…persuaded me to find you." She then leaned her head onto folded hands, fire returning to her stare. "Why are you acting so incredibly different than you do at the Institute? You're almost like another person, in a sense."

Xerath signed, placing his drink also on the table.

"Your inquires have no end. I choose to express myself in a different manner back there because the very idea of everyone seeing how I truly represent myself is…too strong of a contrast with my power. Many would probably think I lost my mind," he then tilted his head darkly, making Caitlyn tense; "many would also jump at the chance to exploit my…weakness."

She began to sip once more on the drink letting Xerath sift through his own thoughts. Before she was able to take another big swig, one of the townspeople came over to the table, sneeringly staring down Xerath.

Xerath instantly shrouded his voice, bringing back the cold harsh tone that Caitlyn could recognize from afar. "Do you need something, sir?" Xerath mockingly retorted, recognizing the fool from earlier. The man pushed his pudgy finger into Xerath's face, and raised his voice for the entire tavern to hear.

"Ya seef'ish piece ov' crap don't deserve to be sitten' heer' with this beaut'e," the man hollered, an evil smirk flashing across his face. Xerath sat quietly, noting the man's drunkenness as he continued to slur his words; Caitlyn acted as if the man wasn't even there. "Abominations lik' ya don't deserve the title ov' champin'."

At this, Xerath's temper flared. _Abomination_; oh how he hated Ryze deeply for saying such a thing publicly.

He quickly stood up a good foot taller than the man as he watched the wretch somewhat shrink. His core energy brightened and began to chafe away the tables and floor, darkening them a bit as they melted, the wood splintering and cracking. The rum in his mug started to boil away, making the glass crack.

The innkeeper brought his hands up in a jerky motion to the sides his face, his mouth opened in a large 'O', horror plain on his expression. Several other bystanders shared his look as Xerath raised his arm, gearing up to strike the man down.

Caitlyn then jumped up, holding Xerath's arm forcefully in place as she looked ruthlessly into his eyes; she shook her head slightly, not letting his gaze evade her. He had stopped moving, trying to restrain his own wrath. A sudden surge of magic mounted within him; he was unable to slow the power as it kept increasing.

He snapped his arm away from the sheriff and glided briskly to the exit making the man falter and fall to the ground as he rushed past. Bursting through the doors, the rain pouring even harder, Xerath kept moving forward, mask facing the sky. The hilt in his back began to brighten, weakening Xerath to a sluggish pace.

Caitlyn came running out to join him, jogging after his fleeing glow. She had never seen him react so recklessly; had he landed a hit on that man, Xerath would have been suspended as a champion for quite some time, plus having to face charges against possibly killing someone. One smack from him outside of the Fields would have disintegrated the other man's flesh.

She watched him suddenly slow down, his own power growing more radiant. Something seemed terribly off.

Somewhat out of breath, she jogged up to him, thinking in the back of her mind she needed some Ionian boots, when she saw him drag his hands to his sides, claws straining as they fanned out. He then arched his back, the hilt suddenly blazing too brightly forcing her to squint her eyes.

A pillar of lightning then engulfed him, making Caitlyn give a small yelp in surprise.

Blinking several times, she looked again at him; he was hunched over in the blinding light, the glow from his eyes gone.

Instead, the hilt of the sword seemed to have taken on his blue quality as it began to stretch out of him.

Before she knew what was happening, Xerath hollered like thunder, "GET DOWN!"

Caitlyn dropped to her stomach seconds before a powerful blast wave coursed off of him. She covered her ears in time as she felt the energy push her back. The sound of the rain returned, dirt puffs rising up.

As she situated herself back into a standing position, she rushed over to Xerath who was sprawled out, his sarcophagus around him in a shattered ring; his actual body was nothing more than azure wisps, rotating lazily in the center.

Steadily, he brought his form back together, much faster than it would usually take him. As he completed his restoration, the hilt was gone; instead, the Fifth Seal wore a dark elaborate pattern of lines and circles. Xerath brought his hands up to it, detecting a strong magical presence.

"Are you alright? I was certain that you had actually died before my eyes." Caitlyn adjusted her rifle back between her shoulders, her lips held taut.

"That is highly unlikely…but I am unsure if I have been injured… so far, I feel fine." He glanced back down at the lock, "…mostly fine…"

Xerath snapped himself to attention, his mask swerving around like a bird in search of prey. He then stopped as his eyes widened in shock. Caitlyn raised her hand to her face in a search-like pose towards the direction Xerath looked upon. She could see nothing.

"Xerath, what are you—" whoosh he went, leaving her stunned, her hair fluttering upwards. _He moves much fast than in matches,_ Caitlyn thought bitterly as she yet again raced after him.

_What am I doing?_ Xerath questioned himself. If who he believed was mere miles in front of him and was trying to scurry away, he would be saved from trouble. And yet he still rushed forward.

He could detect the source of energy he had been following from before was also near. The rain poured harder, creating a haze of vapor as it mixed with his energy, blue steam billowing lazily into the overcast sky; he quickened his pace cutting through the marshland hoping to reach the girl in time.

* * *

(Author's Note)

I have to say this chapter was a bit of a challenge. Xerath, to me, never felt much like a talker unless it was to condescendingly speak down upon his opponents. I hope the dialogue between both champions melded right. More chapters are still going to be coming, so don't worry about it suddenly ending; that's just not fun :P

(Disclaimer)

League of Legends does not belong to me, nor it's characters, world, etc.


	3. Chapter 3: Enemy Unknown

The injured summoner kept limping forward as her crystal guided her; she had turned around for a short while to see a blazing bolt of energy streak out of the gray sky. It wasn't something she was expecting to witness in this region.

The marshland felt eerie as the darkness creepily reminded her of Nocturn. Gazing down at the crystal map, she observed the nearest city to be within a day's travel. She hoped one would be closer, but she had used the last of her crystals for teleporting to Xerath.

_I could go back to the town for a quick travel to the Institute... _Stopping, she shook her head hastily back and forth. It was not what she was commissioned to do. Frowning, her crystal began to dim, it's light weakening until it was smothered by the night.

A bush to her side shuddered eliciting a small yelp from her. As she tried to settle her pounding heart back into a comfort zone, she replaced her crystal with Juniper, and began another chant making her body shine like star dust. Walking again, the chant weaving around her tongue, she warily stepped over a few sturdy rocks that had somehow rolled hazardously onto the trail.

The bush shuddered again inducing the summoner into panicked state of mind as her eyes caught the movement of something disturbing.

Almost hidden by the endless foliage, long jagged black spikes protruded up with an even darker residue dripping from them.

Some kind of appendage steadily stepped out of the undergrowth, then another until a horrendous creature stood in front of her. Standing two meters tall, its body was in the form of a bloated heap of dead flesh, some human and monster-like hands clawing at the air from its sides. It's back bore the spikes as it stretched its long face down, more of the black tar falling from it and staining the ground. She could barely make out the long whip-like tail as she was mesmerized by its vacant human face, its empty mouth gaping open.

The face then tore apart like a mutated flower, revealing lengthy razor sharp barbs, the veins atop of it pulsing quickly. A strangled gurgling noise erupted from the beast as it stepped one gnarled hand closer towards her.

As she was trying to convince herself that she was hallucinating, a heavenly blue radiance began to envelop the pathway.

Fear stricken, her mind cracked at the realization of having pure clarity; she brought her arms tightly into her chest and stopped chanting, Juniper being nearly crushed. From behind her, the blue illumination shimmered brighter as it rapidly increased its speed.

Taking a careless step back, she stumbled over one of the large rocks and was rewarded with pain as she collapsed. Dazed, the beast was suddenly poised over her, its barbs snaking down to stroke her face; color drained from her complexion as sheer terror smothered any rational thoughts.

The light from behind finally grew blinding until it suddenly ruptured out of the undergrowth, giving form to another large being, his eyes opened wide as he glanced down little too late.

Not able to correct his path, the arcane being flew into the creature, the two tumbling over in surprise; the summoner rolled onto her stomach in time as the creature's tail whipped spastically above her. The sudden force of air gusted her hood clean off as she closed her eyes at the sound of impact against the pathway followed by a disconcerting squishing noise.

Slowly opening one eyelid after the other, she gawked at the scene before her, one of the trees dramatically falling over. The being somehow managed to split huge portions of rocks out of the wet soil while several old trees were precariously uprooted next to it.

Scrambling to her feet, she tenderly stepped over the chaos, waving one hand in her face to clear some of the rock debris; the dirt coated her skin, cloak, and bandages as she bent over to look upon him.

He was brushing his shoulders off in mild disgust as if the calamity he brought was normal. Black ooze tainted everything, haphazardly turning every surface into a slick deathtrap including Xerath's sarcophagus. The rain struggled to clean the area as the gunk did not give way.

He abruptly fixated his attention onto her, and froze. They stood there in a strange serenity, gazes locked in a silent contest. Xerath was the first to stir as he glided out of the trench, positioning himself next to her. Her head barely came up to the level of his shoulders as she kept her gaze steady on him.

They were a few feet away as the storm grew a bit lighter, the rain giving the summoner the impression of weeping, all the while blue steam rose from his energy.

"Are you alright?" The summoner asked, glancing quickly behind him to make sure the 'thing' was dead. There was no sign of blood or body parts strewn about, which placed a bit more fear onto her shoulders. Xerath tried to remove more of the slime from his enchantment with his claws, his energy making it sizzle and pop.

"I am fine—," He callously stated when a massive cloud of confusion swept over him.

Xerath hesitantly reached toward her, his mind growing absolutely numb as he saw Tabia standing before him, the storm making her skin shine. She was tilting her head, eyes closed as a smile completed her blissful expression. He felt overwhelmingly constrained to apologize to her, to tell her how much he regretted leaving her behind.

The summoner flinched for a second, compelling Xerath to gradually stop moving, uncertainty again blinding his thoughts. The words would not come as he desired to speak.

Then the visualization was over; quickly, Xerath grimly composed himself, slouching his arm until it was limp by his side, recognizing the summoner once more. _Why are these memories straining me so? Why now?_ He thought resentfully as he shifted his mask away from her, ethereal hands fisted as he tried to drown his past experiences.

The summoner hesitantly raised her hand towards him. He somewhat brought his attention back as he watched her from a sidelong perspective. She seemed different, more so than he originally realized; not many bore the ancient symbols of magic on their body since his revival within the Shurima Desert. He jerked a bit as she dabbed at the slime, using a cloth she had torn from her bandages.

Without thinking, Xerath grabbed her wrist and pulled her up on her toes, forcing her fingers to fan apart while dropping the mucky cloth.

"**Do not test me, mortal**." He whispered harshly, concealing his look of discomfort.

She cringed in pain, but held his gaze not letting apprehension overcome her again; after a few seconds, Xerath released her and forced his attention back to the enchantment. She allowed herself to massage her aching wrist as she looked back to him. The summoner, however, did not back away; her emotions instead became embolden, some of her previous anger rising inside again.

She reached both hands out this time, and rested them over one of the larger fissures among his stone enchantment, freezing in shock at her own actions. As her skin touched his left shoulder plating, Xerath became disorientated, not sure whether to pull away or snarl at her. More blue steam continually rose from his body, the rain finally able to drain most of the black slop into the soil.

A realization startled him as the summoner fearfully watched his mask; the pattern along her delicate frame was reminiscent of the symbols along the Fifth Seal. Grabbing both of her wrists, but more tenderly, he felt something was amiss about her as he observed the markings.

She tensed again, expecting him to throw her to the ground, but no such action came; nervously, she clenched her throat as doubt crept upon her, fabricating questions of his peculiar effort of holding her motionless.

"What are you doing?" came a voice from the darkness. Xerath momentarily panicked, his ethereal grip clasping tighter around the summoner's wrists. The two looked into the direction of the feminine sound as a woman emerged from the drenched, but slightly scorched undergrowth where he had emerged moments before.

Mentally shaking himself, Xerath released her again, dropping his hands next to his sides. Caitlyn, stepping over a few small boulders, gave him an incredulous glare. Without saying a word, she stepped between them, noting the damage of the pathway.

"It seems your injured girl can move again," Caitlyn arched an eyebrow, resting her hands on her hip, "Can you speak?"

"Y-Yes." Her eyes switched hesitantly amongst the magus and sheriff, "Thank you for saving me, but why did you come here?" Her hands instinctively clasped together, resting at her chest. She tried to bring herself to say something more, but her throat became tight with anxiety.

"I didn't realize you were in danger," Caitlyn gestured at the destruction with a gentle flick of her wrist, "I take it this has something to do with it. You should ask him why we're here though."

The summoner nodded her head quickly, both of them glancing at Xerath as he plucked some of the black tar off of a fresh tree stump, "I assume," he began to calculate, rolling the slime into a ball, "this is not a regular species of the vicinity?" He brought the object closer as he inspected it from several angles. The slime began to wriggle uncontrollably as Xerath's energy seared into it.

"I'm not of this region, but I have never witnessed something like that to be moving freely without any given reports," she said, slightly tilting her head, "If something like this did exist commonly around here, I would think the towns' people to create some kind of warning at the very least." The summoner added quizzically, her tan skin becoming a shade lighter as she remembered its frightening appearance.

"What exactly attacked you," Caitlyn asked, pointing at the summoner, "and what is that stuff covering you, Xerath? It smells…" Xerath mechanically swept one hand over his shoulder, trying to remove what little residue that remained on his enchantment.

"I do not know what it was exactly," he stiffened as he looked over at Caitlyn, "…I was…unable to observe it…" the summoner briefly smiled as she placed her hood back on.

"Maybe the Institute might have some information regarding it?" she piped up, fastening her cloak as the rain dampened her bandages. Some of her incisions cracked again, trickling fresh trails of blood. As she looked away, she could not sense the other two growing cold.

"Speaking of the Institute," Caitlyn frostily said, Xerath straightening even more as his empty eyes pierced hers, the wet atmosphere becoming alive with authority, "since she is well enough to walk, you can come back with me now to speak with the Council."

Tilting his mask cockily, Xerath acted as if he was considering it, "…NO." He watched her fume inwardly as she tried to regain a calm tone, somewhat amused by her chosen action.

"_Dammit_ Xerath, you _need_ to go. You agreed to take up the mantle as a champion of the League which means you have to comply with _their_ summons."She then grabbed her rifle, threatening him with another glare, "I have faced harder oppositions than you when it comes to _persuading_ someone to be where they are required."

Unfazed, he turned away from them, inspecting the foreign material once more, "You _will_ and _cannot_ force me to go _anywhere_, no matter how much fighting prowess you use on me. Remember, _**mortal**_, we are not on the Fields; restrictions there do not exist where I stand." Caitlyn steadily released her gun, disgust and anger hidden by a haughty expression.

"There is more than one way to move you…" she relaxed, contemplating over bringing the Summoner Guards to her location. Before she had left the Institute, she recalled them giving her a powerful crystal for a one-way trip for them to travel to her location should she have difficulty convincing him to return.

They would have to walk Xerath all the way back by foot since any usage of a teleporter would give him just enough energy to break their seals and hurl them into different zones across Valoran. Hopefully the latter would not occur.

Xerath fell into his own thoughts about recent events and findings, ignoring the two women as he placed his arms into a casual thinking position.

"Don't bother with him right now," Caitlyn waved at Xerath eliciting a sharp glance from him as she turned back to the summoner. "I'm not really sure as to what's going on that made him come here, besides you. What is your name, for perhaps we may cross paths again?"

The summoner was stunned at the champions easing off each other as she cleared her throat, "I am Annabella." With a start, her expression contorted into an image of despair as she ran away from them, heading back to the trail where she had fallen. Dropping to her hands and knees, she searched urgently, her fingers briskly moving rocks around.

Xerath had briefly stopped to silently watch as Caitlyn walked over to her. Resting a hand onto Annabella's shoulders, Caitlyn calmly asked, "What did you drop?"

Annabella shook her head sideways several times as she looked up quickly at Caitlyn then back at the pathway, "I accidentally misplaced an item given to me by… a dear friend… during the commotion…" The summoner closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke a rhythmic spell as she tried to relax.

Startled, Caitlyn took a step back as the patterns along Annabella's face began to shine. A few feet away from her, wedged in some rubble, a soft blue light responded. Annabella then stood up and rushed to the orb, still chanting steadily as she dug through the pile of rocks.

Xerath jerked violently forward as a powerful surge of magic traveled through him.

Several more surges forced him to buckle over; bringing his hands down he was startled at the sudden intricate black pattern running all over his sarcophagus. Unwillingly, he placed his claws onto the Fifth Seal and pulsed for a quick moment; the dark pattern began to rotate wildly.

Xerath watched in a mix of awe and fear; although he has lived now for a couple thousand of years, he still didn't completely know the extent of his arcane form. The moving patterns settled and began to disassemble the golden lock, turning it into a mass of floating puzzle pieces, each carved out into the patterns' groves.

He felt terribly wrong, his own energy fluctuating dangerously; his body was starting to ignore his commands.

Another serge sent Xerath into an uncomfortable hunched position; he managed to lumber over to an ancient swamp tree unnoticed by the other two, leaning heavily against it while trying to create a sphere of energy.

It slowly materialized, smaller pieces of it coming together; just as the energy completed its bond, it imploded, severely tearing bark off the tree.

His own power was being tampered with; he looked back over to the summoner, seeing the markings along her face glow. His eyes widening in anger at a new realization. Just as he was about to bellow at her to stop using her magic, something to his side rustled the wet plants, water droplets giving its location away.

In that instant, Xerath threw both of his arms up defensively as some kind of twisted limb whipped out of the darkness, sending him a few feet back.

Caitlyn dodged his sudden movement in their direction as she skipped to the side, her gun at the ready aiming at his mask. The summoner had stopped speaking, withdrawing herself from the pile as the champions shared a brief glance.

Caitlyn then aimed her gun at the forest slowing her breathing until the rain was deafening everything into a constant hush. Annabella looked over at Xerath and froze as she saw the pieces to his lock rotate lazily in the air with an intricate black pattern covering his enchantment. _It's almost __an exact_ duplicate of mine, she thought stricken once more with fear.

"Xerath, what's wrong with your—" Annabella started to ask, when a low gurgling echoed in the air cutting her off; it quickly escalated into a desolate shriek.

Glowering as his magic flickered within his hands, Xerath raised them into fists, the openings in his mask becoming slits as he examined the dark forest. A few feet away from where he was attacked, something stirred, resulting in Caitlyn firing her gun directly at it.

A thwack was heard as the creature cried out; an unrecognizable animal leapt out from behind a tree and dropped closest to Caitlyn in between the three, bringing its tail around rapidly. As the crude whip came about, Caitlyn ducked and rolled to its' side while Xerath and the summoner pulled back.

Annabella hunched over as she rushed back to the pile and dug about frivolously trying to find Juniper.

The beast tore itself open again, the barbs joining into the fight as they awkwardly swiped at Caitlyn's face; throwing down a large trap, the edges cover in rows of jagged teeth, she fired her gun again at what was supposed to be its head.

It grotesquely turned towards her and stepped into the trap. Howling, it jerked sharply up, ripping its' foot apart as it wobbled several steps away from the sheriff.  
Smirking, she brings her gun down in one hand, the front of her facing away from the creature.

Xerath, who was trying to create a solid idea of the thing's anatomy, flinched as he realized the creature's tenacity.

It was testing them.

"Caitlyn, don't—!" he yelled, making his way over to grab her.

She ignored him and fired her weapon once more; the bullet blasted into its' disfigured face, and kept going, until its' body shredding into thousands of slim-like thread. The ooze collaborated together and stretched itself across the ground until it manifested into the horrid beast behind the sheriff, its' many limbs taking a hold of her.

As it grasped her, Caitlyn's skin burned hotly from the black acid that seeped out of its' body. She tried to pull away, but her arms and back were being sucked into it. The creature then wrapped its razor barbs around her neck, leisurely choking her as it ripped into her flesh, beads of blood welling up and conjoining.

"Do…something…Xerath!..." Caitlyn gasped, one eye tightly shut as she tried to even her breathing, ignoring the pain while struggling to get out.

Xerath body slammed into its' side, catching himself as the beast released her, sliding a few feet away. It poised itself into another attack stance, screeching again as it lowered its' misshapen face. Out of breath, Caitlyn picked her gun back up and glanced at Xerath, her lips tightened into a thin line.

"Use you magic, mage," She said positioning her rifle into a threatening pose, making the creature bellow again, "You need to do something other than run into it. Range here would be more helpful." As she was about to dash at the thing again, Xerath grabbed her arm, struggling to control his fluctuating power.

She turned back to him, surprised to see him trying to express melancholy.

"I cannot," he instead angrily stated, glancing down at the fifth Seal, watching the pieces hover about, "something is interfering with my abilities."

The creature made the first move as it lunged at the two; just as they clenched getting ready to take on the defense, a powerful spell chained the beast into the ground, its feet sinking into the soil. It wildly twisted its disfigured form, extending its other limbs down to lift itself out. The soil then reached up grabbing a hold of the creature, and brought it further downward.

The summoner had reappeared, her orb hovering between her hands; eyes closed, she spoke a soft chant, aiming her attention at it. Ghostly chains emerged from the ground and wrapped around the wicked entity entirely until the only thing visible of it was its' barbs that were still lashing out.

Exhausted, Annabella slouched to the ground, some blood dripping from her hands. As she fell, Xerath and Caitlyn rushed to her, ignoring the struggling creature; Caitlyn laid her rifle on the ground as she picked up the summoner, Annabella's head lolling a bit to the side.

"She's okay; just passed out." Caitlyn took her pulse, relieved that she didn't see the summoner die in front of them. Annabella fluttered her eyes open, and looked at the two, a faint smile playing on her countenance.

"I guess it's not a good idea to travel right now..." Coughing, she picked Juniper back up and tried to chant again.

Xerath intervened as he plucked the orb out of her hand; startled, Annabella stared wide-eye at him, fear overcoming her. _He can't find out yet...otherwise _**he'll**_ kill me..._

"You need to rest," he said quietly, placing the orb into her satchel without inspecting it closely, "you used too much magic in that spell of yours." The three of them glanced back at the creature, the chains still rattling as its' howl was being muffled.

Caitlyn swung her gun onto her shoulders then helped Annabella to her feet, bracing her against her body as they started to make their way back to the town. Xerath looked back down at his lock, and watched in relief as it started to come together. _If this happens frequently , I'm going to have a harder time fighting..._

"Come on, Xerath. We need to get back to the inn to help her," Caitlyn then glanced at the rattling chains, "I'm not really sure how long the spell is going to last, anyways."

Xerath, flexing his fingers, created a stable sphere of magic; looking at the chained beast, he throws the orb at it. It recoiled violently, raising its voice into another screeching tone. Xerath then fired a blazing trail of blue energy at it, disintegrating its flesh.

The sound of rain once again filled the air as he observed his work; nothing but the chains remained.

Xerath then hovered after the two women, elated to have his magic return. However, in the back of his thoughts, his suspensions grew dark as he remembered the summoner and her chant. And the way terror enveloped her when he touched her orb. _She must be connected to whatever happened to me._

As thirty or so minutes passed by, the strange trio made their way back to the entrance of the tavern. Xerath took over Annabella, letting her rest against him as Caitlyn opened the door. The room went quiet as the innkeeper opened his mouth, fear still in his eyes.

Caitlyn threw up one hand, her gaze aiming away from him, "Don't ask…" she said, gingerly climbing the stairs.

Xerath nodded at the innkeeper, "I will pay for any damage I had done." The innkeeper nodded back as he closed his mouth, watching them disappear at the top of the steps.

* * *

(Author's Note)

Sorry for delivering this chapter so late; it took quite a bit of time to make the conversations mesh right. I might go back in and change some things around. I have to say I love this chapter the most so far, with the chaos that happened. Hope you readers enjoyed it ^-^). More chapters are still on the way. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I named the big golden lock on Xerath's chest the Fifth Seal; I hope I cleared up that confusion.

(Disclaimer)

I do not own League of legends, nor it's characters, landscape, etc. I do own the summoner, though.


	4. Chapter 4: Vulnerable Crystal

**Edit: _So yeah, I realized I had made a huge mistake during one of the conversations between the three. So don't be surprised (if you've already read the chapter) if something Caitlyn says to Xerath is very off. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Back in the luscious chamber, the three travelers had finally come to rest, Caitlyn and Annabella tending to their fresh wounds while Xerath stood watch by the window. He had dimmed his core to nothing more than a dark wisp of blue tendrils; the only thing that gave way to him standing there was his enchantment. He was uneasy, although he did not allow himself to make any notions of it.

Caitlyn had placed her rifle back against the wall, sitting down at the table. A pink rash replaced a good chunk of her natural peach pigment over her arms. She was carefully wrapping leftover bandages around her neck, cringing several times as a sharp pain traveled through her. Over on the bed Annabella was adjusting herself, placing her satchel down while examining Juniper for cracks.

No one had said a word since entering the room.

_The girl_, Xerath thought, _must have more magic under her control than I was able to confirm. If she was capable of suppressing me for even that short duration, I must be ready to take action against any darker motives she may have._ He could not fathom how she was able to do it with him being conscious, but he had assumed her to be the only logical source. _If one is not near the location they deal out the magic to subdue another, without the help of massive rune chambers or __tremendous _enchantments, it would be nigh impossible.

Nonetheless, it happened to him. Xerath, with his back turned to the others, slowly rotated his mask to glare at the summoner as she hovered the orb between her hands, a sigh of relief lifting from quiet voice.

"Okay, mage, it's about time you tell me…us why you rashly pursued _her_. And what I think I caught you two doing…" Caitlyn subtly hinted, not once raising her gaze as she finished cleaning up her blood.

Xerath turned the rest of himself around, bringing his arms up crossly as a bit of his usual tone returned to his disembodied voice.

"As I said before, it is of my own reason; and I was doing nothing more than observing the rune work on her." Annabella looked shyly away as Caitlyn snapped her attention to him, her tone lethal, "I helped you and this is what I receive in return? I had always thought you to be someone of reason, no matter how emotionless you are."

Even as the two were at different ends of the room, the champions stared each other down. Exasperated, Xerath considered what she said, some of his pride withering as he knew her to be right.

"I pursued her because she risked herself defending me; she came seeking for my aid. Therefore, I am agreeing to help her as way of payment. I don't like to leave debts unpaid. It is the _only_ reason. Although I did not expect her to run away like that," he nodded towards Annabella, gaze still locked with the sheriff, "Also, I believed I was heading for a key item of interest that I had come out here in the first place to gain. Unfortunately, I lost tract of it before the fighting ensued."

Xerath glided over to Annabella, trying to seem a little less daunting.

"You asked of my help, did you not?"

Annabella looked hesitantly at Caitlyn then back, her posture stiff, "Yes. I had high hopes that you would be able to help me with a dilemma that has come about my friend." Continuing, her eyes fell onto Juniper, "He's a mage, you see; he has found a curious ancient artifact, but doesn't wish to inform the League out of fear that they will confiscate it. He says he wishes to study it and thought that perhaps another mage, such as yourself, would be able to identify it and bring about worthy information that you both can utilize."

She grew silent again, not bringing her attention up to the mage as he in turn thought about it. _Such an object could explain that curious beast from earlier, although that is highly improbable._

"In exchange of my aid," he began, her eyes becoming wide as she looked to him, "you must answer some questions regarding your magic and such, plus why the League is allowing you to speak with me. Unless, that was a lie just to gain my attention."

Annabella blushed as her bluff was caught. "I agree to your terms. Forgive me please of my past misdemeanor…" Xerath waved one clawed hand back and forth, ignoring her plea.

Caitlyn finally broke into the conversation, making him weary, "Where you go, I go. After all, I came to find you and bring you back. And since you've decided to be a jerk and ignore the Council, I have no choice but to wait 'til you've done what you wanted, although they will not be pleased."

Cocking her head sideways, hands resting on her hips as she ruffled her dress, she gave a sly smile, "Try to make any attempts to ditch me and I promise to drag you back in a sealed bag before you can reconstruct yourself _after_ I've dismantled you."

Xerath just turned his attention back to the window, his sarcophagus twitching. Facing her on the Fields was a challenge in itself; who knows how far she will go to try and carry out her promises. Then again, leaving her would allow him some more space to think.

"Very well, I will put up with you until then." Caitlyn gave him an angry glare as she relaxed back into the chair.

"Umm, would you be suitable with me taking the bed? I'm absolutely fine with giving it to you Champion Caitlyn." The summoner hastily stated, noting the sheriff tediously bringing her hat a bit down over her face; she had dragged the other chair over to prop her feet on as she settled.

Caitlyn looked to her, and then closed her eyes, signaling she was fine. In a matter of seconds, she fell half asleep, her attention still regarding the room, but not enough of the other two.

Xerath absently turned back to the summoner, scoffing at the weakness of flesh and blood. Eyeing Annabella, he changed his tone to a more human manner; however, it still carried its deep and impeccable harshness as it reverberated around the room.

"Earlier, back before that sly woman had intervened, what gave you such courage to touch me? I dare say that was not what I was expecting at all."

Annabella became flustered, pulling her hood back over her face as she tried to shy away from him, her legs dangling over the bed as she spoke kindly.

"Please forgive me. I had wanted to stop the rain from seeping into you, but that is a silly notion. Even if I had covered the fracture completely, you would have not cared if neither rain nor wind came about you…" Bringing her gaze back to his, her blush deepened, "you seemed…uncomfortable."

He stood there shocked expecting any other answer, something more along the lines to see if he was real, or just a floating mass of rocks and magic. _How could she possibly perceive my emotions? No other can understand me unless I permit it...and I did not allow it… _

Alarmed, he asked, "How? How did you know what I was conveying…?" He had dropped both of his arms, not caring for the moment how he appeared to her. Everyone else had always given him a wide berth since he joined the League, many of them thinking he would smite them on the spot.

She had her full attention back to him, her eyes closed as she smiled.

"I don't really know; I guess I could just tell."

He was greatly disturbed, but overcome a bit with delight as he saw Tabia before him again. His core brightened to a soothing blue haze, making the sharp angles of the sarcophagus dull. _The girl does have an uncanny resemblance, although her attitude is the complete opposite..._

Xerath then changed the subject, his past memories once more escaping the lock he had placed on them.

"About your orb, why do you cling to it so? Not many would place their magic on such a meager and frail object."

The serenity she displayed was suddenly gone, replaced with profound melancholy, although her tone did not give way to it, "Its' name is Juniper. I need it otherwise my magic is pointless; I can't do anything without it…" She didn't like where this conversation was going, it was too close to becoming a danger.

Xerath inquisitively brought his claws to his mask, uncertainty on the edge of his mind.

"So it seems. May I ask of this other mage and the artifact?"

Annabella slightly nods, eyelids beginning to droop, "His name is Maliezek, a high-level summoner, and well renowned mage of Noxus. I am to take you to a secluded camp site close to Freljord, along the Serpentine River. You can see why he didn't want the league to know of his whereabouts."

Xerath shrugged his shoulder plating, knowing she meant of the Demacia-Noxus rivalry, but did not really care. Such things were beneath him.

"As for the artifact, I really can't give the information to you since nothing of it was told to me."

The summoner had grown very tired, but tried to stay awake to maintain the conversation. As she lifted her legs onto the bed, Xerath caught sight of a strange marking, not like the rest that covered her. It resembled―

Hastily, Annabella covered her foot, not looking back to face him; she subsequently inspected Juniper again and sharply inhaled the dank air. There on its surface was a small but noticeable crack, breaking some of the alignments of the mysterious pattern. She delicately tucked Juniper back into her satchel, ignoring Xerath's questioning stare.

Just as she was about to roll onto her side to sleep, he yanked her foot out, jolting her wide awake. He cautiously removed the small sock that ended at her ankle, and was taken aback; there on her foot was a crack similar to the blue orb, stretching across her heel and disappearing underneath the bandages covering her leg.

"May I?" Xerath gently asked, gesturing at her injured limb. Annabella had closed her eyes in a pained way, lips held taut as she acknowledged his request. As she brought her other leg back over the edge, he carefully unwrapped the bandages, stopping at the calf to assess the damage.

The dark fracture sliced through the markings just like on Juniper, appearing as if someone had taken a small pebble and tapped it firmly against a glass goblet. It covered half the region of her leg, explaining her tiresome limping.

"What kind of enchantment has cursed you, summoner? There is very potent magic here behind this _thing_…" Xerath hissed, letting her go and simultaneously gesturing at her satchel.

"My friend isn't the only one who needs your help," she whispered, bringing her gaze back to him while she covered the strange wound, "the magic is of an unknown origin. Maliezek proposed to me that you'd be capable of breaking this curse with the usage of the artifact…but…I don't see how…" She quickly wiped her eyes, steeling her tone to its former self.

"I wanted to ask you from earlier why the golden lock on your chest broke apart during that horrid fight. I have never seen that happen on the Fields before, as I have guided you through the matches."

Xerath squinted his eyes, uncertainty questioning all that he thought about her_. If she is boldly asking of my predicament, she must be playing me for a fool...or is honestly trying to be earnest. Hmmmm…_

"I have no idea how such actions came to be on this enchantment; I had thought of you to be the one responsible, as the markings along you were very similar to its own nature." Annabella became offended as she brought a fist tightly into her chest; her voice grew cold as well.

"I didn't do that at all! Just because the markings are consistent, it doesn't make me a valid suspect. I'm sorry you came to such a conclusion, but it was not me."

The room was silent again, only filled with the soft tapping of rain against the window and Caitlyn's steady breathing.

"You should get some rest and gather your strength," he spoke up, momentarily shattering the illusive peace, "since we travel tomorrow to this mage, Maliezek, there will be much walking and you are poorly injured. How sad the flesh of mortality limits you."

Annabella finally relaxed her head onto her pillow, giving another weary sigh and fell deep into slumber. She did not care of the magus' statement but was instead grateful for having such a weakness; it proved to her that it was okay to be without everlasting life. She dreaded over the idea of sitting awake day and night, to never truly rest the mind.

She learned to welcome death from her childhood, living in an inhospitable world that had taken much from her.

As she fell asleep, she wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, facing away from Xerath.

He had glided back to the window, dimming his core light again as he leaned against the dresser. He could not leave now because of the promise he had made. Although he loathed the lesser being he used to be, Xerath still had respect for mortal codes of honor.

Withdrawing his mind to his innermost self, in his way, he relaxed as he went over the day's events. Xerath tried to detect the source of energy that had called to him from before, but it gave no signs of presenting itself.

Huffing he thought crossly_ And I am nowhere closer to finding the key to release myself from this burden. How dreary; the Institute will hold me much like Brand if I return with this enchantment still clinging to me…_

(The next morning…)

A soft tapping echoed off the finely crafted door as the sun rose a little above the horizon, the sky still cloudy. As the door opened on squeaky hinges, Caitlyn greeted the innkeeper's servant girl.

"Thanks for the wakeup call, but it is unneeded now." She stated coolly, her rifle slung over shoulder.

The servant girl had only heard about the commotion from yesterday and didn't believe a word of it.

That is until she saw both champions in the little room, each with their own quality of power and authority. Xerath stood by the wall, ignoring the gawking of the small woman while Annabella collected her belongings and placed her satchel back on.

Before the servant had arrived, Xerath helped Annabella with her bandages, treating her like she was glass flower. Caitlyn had then asked him for some help, and he complied with bandaging her neck a bit too rough.

It left the two of them arguing fiercely about how to handle people without killing them in the process. Caitlyn had won the argument as she threated to drag him back to the Institute with the aid of every other champion, leaving him in an unpleasant mood.

Descending the flight of stairs, Xerath in back with Caitlyn at the forefront, the three had stopped at the entrance. Xerath glided over to the front counter, greeting the innkeeper with his harsh voice, making the man shrink.

"Here," he said, twisting his hand in the air making a small bag of coins appear, "this should cover all of the damage I had previously dealt." The innkeeper hesitantly took the bag, gave a small thank you, and went back to tending to the tavern.

Caitlyn was the first to step outside; the clamor of the shops coming to life as many common folk went on their way. As Xerath and Annabella joined her, many of the people took great attentiveness at giving them a wide berth.

Signing, the sheriff glanced at him, "I never receive this much attention unless I'm among the corrupt dogs that I hunt." He just looked to his side, ignoring her criticism. Before Caitlyn was able to poke more fun at him, Annabella spoke up.

"I should probably shop for some provisions so as to not slow us down on the journey. It's probably going to take me about an hour; you both can wait for me at the northernmost exit." Before she took a step towards the town's market district, Xerath spoke swiftly, "I will accompany you. I would like to see the objects you believe are necessary for this trip."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear the magus go on and on about how he doesn't require such items. She quickly grabbed Annabella's wrist and tugged her in the direction of the first booth with colorful fruits. Xerath hovered closely behind.

As they went over the stands, Caitlyn could tell there was something strange with him and how he reacted to the tattooed girl.

At one of the booths, Annabella held up a large purple plant with roots that wiggled around like worms between herself and Xerath. He hesitantly inspected it, asking the merchant several questions of its viability. Annabella gently smiled, talking about how she used it for cooking in some of her recipes; as he took a hold of it, the plant melted, dripping its' content onto the ground.

The merchant angrily demanded for compensation; Annabella quietly giggled as she paid for the plant and two more like it. Satisfied, the merchant went about his business, while Xerath, disgruntled, burned what was left of the fragrant vegetable to ashes. Caitlyn was expecting him to blow his top, but he went about his way following her.

She just trailed closely behind, inspecting some of the stands and glaring down several men that had lustily tried and sell her some wine.

As the shopping ended, the three of them stood at the designated entrance leading them north past the Howling Marsh. Annabella had bought three gray cloaks, the edges of the fabric dipped in a golden silk forming a beautiful system of runes and symbols. Discarding her damaged one, she replaced it with the new material.

"Here, you both should wear these," Annabella suggested as she handed each of them the finely woven fabric. Caitlyn pulled the cloak around herself, repositioning her gun on her back. Xerath just looked blankly at it, not making any motions.

"Is something wrong, Champion? I didn't mean to offend you with this." Annabella asked, trying to think of a way to appease him.

Xerath closed his blue slits, straining to remember the texture of fabric. "Nothing is wrong, summoner."

He awkwardly puts it on, binding it together at the front. The hood rested against the back of his mask as he hovered half a foot from the ground, the material barely brushing against the dirt. He studied it noticing his own light being barely visible.

"A special type of spell for concealment is imbedded into your cloak, to help keep your radiance from spilling onto everything," as Xerath looked back to her she added, "where we are going, your energy could mean disaster if unwanted attention is attracted to us."

"I understand, but I am capable of hiding my own light."

Annabella sympathetically raised her head as she was forced to look up at him, "That would be asking too much of you for the entire duration of the trip; surely you can wear this without fretting over your own power?" As Xerath acknowledged in agreement, Caitlyn gawked at her.

"You're a summoner?!" she then swiveled to look at Xerath then back to the girl.

_Him of all champions I would expect to not associate with nor help, no matter what level the summoner is or how far they go to help him in return. What on Valoran is going on?_

Xerath ignored Caitlyn's bewilderment, trying to find a comfortable position with the cloak. Annabella had turned to her, eyebrows pulled down in confusion.

"What is so wrong with me being a summoner?" Caitlyn just turned back to Xerath, thrusting one hand out to the side, palm up at Annabella. He signed, temporarily hoping that he would not have to explain.

"What is your level among the Institute?"

"I'm a mid-level summoner, but I still don't―" Xerath raised his claws up quickly, silencing her.

"I see. It is well known among the champions that there are those of us who would seek harm onto your kind, the summoners. Those like Shaco, and Thresh would be completely delighted to hunt you down and slowly kill you."

The summoner became stricken with fear as he continued, "However, there are a small handful of other champions who are opposed to such violence outside of the Fields, Caitlyn being one of them." He gestured at the enforcer.

"Tell her about yourself, Xerath." Caitlyn jabbed.

"I…well you see I don't very much take to liking summoners myself, nor their squabbling."

"Oh, and he forgot to mention," Caitlyn sarcastically stated rolling her eyes skyward, "that he put a group of summoners into a medic center after his temper was let loose. Three got away with minor burns, but two of them are still being heavily treated."

Annabella, somewhat fearful of the new information, looked back to him, "Is what she said true?"

The pain on her face could not equal the sudden despair that filled his mind. Seeing her look at him for the first time with fear vexed his thoughts, but more out of sorrow than anger.

"Yes...I was sorely responsible for the incident. Had the young man stopped mocking me and treating me like a fool, I would have let him be. I didn't mean to bring this troubling news to light."

He glared at Caitlyn then looked back at the summoner, waiting for her to say she wanted to search for help elsewhere. Instead, she boldly faced him, fists clenched.

"It doesn't matter; what matters is getting you to mage Maliezek." She turned around and limped off in the direction of the designated site.

Caitlyn was quickly by her side, asking if she wanted any help. After a few moments, Xerath hesitantly glided after the two women, feeling a bit guilty.

_ These feelings are becoming incredibly aggravating; first those memories and now this. When will it end?_

* * *

(Author's Note)

This chapter was a bit of fun as the conversations (hopefully) meshed correctly. Things seem to be also growing harder on Xerath, although I must admit it's going to progressively get worst for him. Tee hee XD More chapters still coming! Enjoy.

(Disclaimer)

I do not own League of Legends, nor its champions, settings, etc. I do own Annabella and Maliezek though.


	5. Chapter 5: Peculiar Connections

_**Just a suggestion, but I figured you guys would like to hear some awesome music while reading this passage. It's on Youtube by TraumaCaspian; the (very long) music video is called "2 Hour - Epic Music Collection Mix". Hope you enjoy ;D**_

* * *

As the sun gradually rose higher into the sky, the clouds grew darker, threatening to release a fresh torrent of rain; Caitlyn and Annabella walked next to each other while Xerath hovered several feet ahead along the almost obscured pathway. None of their hoods resided on their heads as they bobbed and weave through the strange marshes.

Each of them remained quiet, Xerath only speaking to ask which junction in the path to take. The weather managed to grow colder, even though the region was well-known for being humid.

"You shouldn't worry about him," Caitlyn stated, nearby birds flying away in surprise to her voice, "It's true he injured a group of summoners, but there's more to the story that I intentionally left out..."

She turned her attention back to the path, whacking a few plants out of their way as Annabella looked at her questioningly. As she limped past the hacked foliage, her quiet tone seemed to have been carried away as the wind rushed by, "Why would you not speak of the rest?"

Hacking at a few more, the two kept walking in sync, Caitlyn raising her lips into a half-smile, "Because I kind of agreed to not talk about it. But seeing as the news is greatly troubling to you, I wanted to ease any stress that I may have provoked. Just promise me you won't speak of it to him." She gestured with her head at Xerath who was absently thinking about other things, not noticing their conversation.

"I promise."

"Good." Caitlyn said, her smile saddening a bit. "It's kind of long, but that shouldn't trouble you since it's going to take us about a day or two to get to—what was it called again?"

"Temple of the Broken Souls." Annabella replied.

"Right, that peculiar name. It actually happened a few months ago, where I had not yet gained respect for that troublesome...being. He surprisingly has a tender side, although you would never guess it behind that callous exterior."

"Do you have feelings for him, Champion Caitlyn?" Annabella turned in surprise to her, stopping only for a moment then picking her pace back up. Caitlyn did a double-take as she tried not to stumble over some rocks.

"Oh, God, no…noo no no. I will never see him in that kind of light. And stop calling me 'Champion'; either use my real name by itself, or call me Enforcer." Annabella nodded as she agreed to the adamant statement.

"Why do you have respect for him then? I thought he didn't share your similar views about…summoners." Annabella asked, wrapping her cloak tightly around herself. Frost was starting to develop in the air.

"It's because of what he did…for me. Something I would never have expected him to do."

* * *

_Ever since Xerath joined the League to take part in the decisive battles, we had formed a favorable duo group, him stunning the enemy and me shooting them to bits. However, neither of us gave any care towards the other outside of the Fields of Justice. We just carried each other out of interest for our own well-being. _

_It was after a particularly horrid match, where I was being controlled poorly by a very arrogant summoner that I began to see him differently from the rest._

_Previously, Xerath and myself had staved off the ever encroaching enemy team, trying to preserve the last of our defenses when one of our allies, Amumu, was forced to make a crucial decision: to stay by our side and pick off the enemy one-by-one or rush their nearly dead nexus at the forefront. His impudent summoner made him choose the latter, while three of us had died, and the other trying to replenish their health. The result was our team losing._

_As I returned to my room, I was preparing myself to head down to the Mess Hall. That is until my summoner had appeared at my door, anger making his pale skin boiling red._

"_You useless champion! You were too weak to carry that damn match even though I fed you and had your build almost complete!" he raged, me quietly standing there ignoring his condescending tone. _

_I wanted to turn on him and tell him how it was his own damn fault for not aiming most of my attacks properly and mostly kill stealing from my allies. But we would have been their arguing for hours._

"_A piece of scum like you should go practice your skills some more until you can be practical. Humph. Obviously, you're weaker than I had assumed."_

"_How dare you speak to me like that!" I blurted at him, feeling greatly indignant. "Summoners should learn how to speak properly to the ones they control in the arenas."_

_At this, the summoner raised his hand, not feeling guilty at the prospect of smacking a woman, let alone a champion. Xerath was apparently passing by at the same time, disregarding the angry bouts the summoner casted until he caught sight of me on the other end of his threateningly poised hand. _

_He then suddenly grasped the summoner's wrist, the both of us staring in confusion._

"_What the…!" The summoner had turned to see who had halted him, and was amusingly shocked at the mighty being holding him firmly in place. The man seemed to have lost his fighting spirit as Xerath harshly looked down upon him. _

_Suddenly balking, the man pulled himself free and took several steps away, the two of us not saying anything, me more out of trying to subdue my unrequited fury. The summoner then left, stomping away like a child, muttering several more foul words until he disappeared down another hall._

"…_thanks…" I huffed out, trying to relax my grip on my weapon. Xerath just gave me a side long glance, reminding me who exactly was standing before my summons chamber. Without a word, he hovered away._

_A few hours later, deeper within the Institution's valued rooms of endless information, the incident occurred. _

_I was striding down the sleek halls past major rooms brimming with scrolls, books, and other curious artifacts; I had requested to speak face to face with Councilor Telaka about a fugitive who was last seen at the Institute. _As long as I am here, those deserving of justice will be punished.

_A__s I kept walking, I could hear a detestable declaration leaking into the hall. Several summoners had scurried hastily out of the room and past me, fear plain in their expressions. Slowing myself, I decided to take a peek inside._

_There at one of the more impressive bookshelves, the blue being hovered while holding a book delicately between his claws, everything else seemingly dwarfed compared to his stature. Five summoners whose robes spoke for themselves of their status had surrounded Xerath, all their postures tense as one of them kept on shouting._

"_Damn you, you brute, for making me look like a fool! How dare you intervene in someone else's conversation!" He just flipped a page, continuing to read on as he composedly replied._

"_Young summoner, you made yourself look like the fool you are. You should know better than to strike a woman who has done nothing to incur your temper." The man grew increasingly angrier as the champion continued to rebuke his argument, "Do not turn your wrath on me because of your own disgrace."_

* * *

(Back in the present…)

"He actually said that?" Annabella asked in awe.

"More or less. I would have never figured him to be a gentleman."

The trail began to sharply decline, opening up an almost perfect view of a piece of the Serpentine River. The water glimmered like turquoise gems, each sloshing up to kiss the frosty air. As the three kept to the path, Xerath glided down swiftly, his robe catching a bit on the jaggedly protruding trees.

The two women were unfortunately not so lucky. Turning sideways, Caitlyn slide down the slope while Annabella took hesitant steps, trying not to bang her injured ankle against the trail.

One of the rocks jarringly gave way underfoot forcing her to slide down recklessly. Caitlyn had barely caught her and pulled her out of the way as the cliff side abruptly ended. They both stared a quick moment over the craggy rocks, hearts beating quickly; Xerath had not noticed what happened as he kept going.

"Thanks…" Annabella managed to choke out, meekly happy that death wasn't coming to claim her.

Caitlyn straightened herself and started to walk after Xerath, the summoner quickly following suite. "Sure."

"So," Annabella stated, trying to distract her uneasy mind, "what provoked Champion Xerath to attack?"

* * *

"_You arrogant bastard! You have no authority on how I treat you tools. You don't get to make the calls!" He kept his __concentration_ in the book, not seemingly bothered by the verbal abuse. I was about to walk away when Xerath had caught my attention; he finally looked at the hostile mage, his body brightening.

"_What did you say, summoner?" Xerath spitted out in only a way he could, his claws twitching. I was suddenly fearful for the irrational mages as I recognized his telltale signs of charging up his magic._

"_You heard me," he spat back, his expression changing into glee, "Without us to contain your petty magic, you would just throw another tantrum like you did in Shurima," he had placed the book back onto the shelf, his slits glowing fiercely. "You would probably kill again, just to satisfy your own twisted mind."_

_Xerath was about to unleash the full extent of his power that was not being trapped by his enchantment when I had quickly stepped in front of him, shocking the two. I had angled myself threateningly at the group, my rifle resting firmly within my grasp. _

_My anger from earlier returned as I recognized the summoner who had tried to hit me._

"_Back away, boys. There's no need for a fight to break out." _

_I heard Xerath scoff behind me at my warning, "It would be more of a slaughter…although, that's probably giving them too much credit as well." __The entire group, except the furious summoner, had taken several uncertain steps back as they too feared their previous motives._

"_Come on, Sethar, we should just leave them be."_

"_No!" he retorted sharply back making his companions flinch, "If he wants to use that pathetic excuse for a woman as a shield, so be it!" _

_Sethar created a hovering mass of several dozen small blades, and threw his arms out in front of him signaling their fire as it all happened in a matter of seconds. I defensively guarded myself as best as I could, knowing I didn't have enough time to move away. _

_The pain never came though._

_As I reopened my eyes, I couldn't wrap my mind around what I was perceiving, much like the others. He had placed himself directly in the path of the onslaught, all the daggers sticking out from his enchantment like a pincushion. He managed to curl both his arms around me but never made any solid contact against my skin. _

_As he brought himself back up to full height, livid rage poured out of him in waves of pure arcane force. I could not help but feel amazed at this other champion who just exhibited some kind of compassion for my well-being, him of all…people._

_Recovering from his temporary daze, Sethar tried to create more lethal weapons when Xerath suddenly stood before him. Lowering his mask to give the summoner a horrific piercing glare, Xerath grabbed the front of his robe and lifted him about three feet off the ground. _

_Panicking, Sethar tried to struggle out of his iron grip as Xerath boomed in a thunderous voice, "__**I did not realize just how much of a fool you truly are**__…" _

_He then released him letting the summoner crumple onto the floor. Sethar was shaking madly with terror, one hand fanned over the side of his face believing he just escaped the embodiment of death itself._

_Xerath then looked over to me, his vacant eyes still full of rage, "_Do not breathe a **word **of what I did for you_." _

_As he turned to leave, the summoner spoke up wildly, "Hecania chiara'sa vlido!" A single black sword materialized and propelled itself at his mask. I whipped out my rifle just in time, knocking the blade into a bookshelf._

_"Yield, summoner."_

_Without hesitation, Sethar rooted his magic into the floor creating hundreds of tendrils made up of tiles and rocks. The ugly vines protruded sharply, knocking tables and shelves over as well as the other summoners. As the magically induced vines surrounded the two of us, Xerath's controlled demeanor finally broke._

"_**ENOUGH!**__" The magus snarled; he quickly swiped his claws sideways, raw arcane energy flowing freely from its restraints. _

_Three of the summoners were flung from the chamber followed by a cloud of debris. Sethar and his ally were not as fortunate as they were flung into the wall, the blinding energy stripping them of their soft tissue. _

_His eyes completely white, the scorched summoner sat on his knees, his head held limply back as he dryly gasped for air. As Sethar's body slammed into the disfigured floor, Xerath calmed his magic, turning what was left of his power into steam._

_I stood horrified by the scene that befell my gaze; everything in the room was charred by the furious magic, except myself and Xerath. I couldn't help but place my hands over my mouth, trying not to gag on the scent of burning flesh, "Oh my God…what have you done…?" _

_I turned to face him, fearful of hearing a wicked delight seep from his voice. Instead, I saw him clenching his fists, his expression utterly unreadable with his slits completely closed. _

_We stood there quietly until a swarm of other members of the League came. As I walked out of the chaos, someone directing me to sit down to see if I was injured, I took a risk and glanced at the ascendant being. He was being surrounded again, but by higher level mages; each mage placed a purple ethereal chain around different parts of his form._

_I__ was expecting to see him loose it again, but Xerath stood quietly, only speaking to tell them of the incident. They then guided his heavily sealed form to the lower levels of the Institution where the more dangerous champions resided._

_He never looked at me once as the others came. Although Xerath used his destructive power out of rage, I was relieved he brought no harm to me. Again..._

* * *

"After the whole incident happened, the League just swept it under the rug, explaining to everyone else that a chain effect of spells combined incorrectly. No one questioned the High council of it validity, except maybe a few other champions who had recognized the magic used."

The pathway was starting to open up again, the plants receding underneath the great trees. Annabella stayed silent as they moved along, her expression becoming disheartening.

"What's wrong?" Caitlyn stopped, her face animating, "I thought you would be comforted to know Xerath leans more on neutral ground with his power." The summoner had slowed her limping until she stood a few feet in front, her head hung low.

"I shouldn't…have asked that horrible question of him…"

Caitlyn then wraps one arm around her shoulder, leading them forwards again. "Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure he just ignored you...like he does to everyone." She muttered; Annabella smiled for a second, then returned to her previous state. _If only that were true…_

(Many hours later…)

The party had come to rest underneath a large formation of rocks, the crystalline river ebbing at the sandbank near them.

"We should stay here for the night," Annabella offered as she heavily leaned herself against it, wheezing from the treacherous walk. Neither champion was tired; Caitlyn was used to holding out for long times, and Xerath…well he hasn't required rest since he gained the arcane form.

"We could trek a few more miles out, before we need to stop for the night." Caitlyn stated as she looked off into the distance of the water; they had maybe a few extra hours of daylight until the darkness would sweep over them.

"Are you alright?" said Caitlyn as she went over to help her.

"We seem to be asking that a lot of each other." Annabella tiredly smiled, pulling Juniper out.

Chanting with markings shining, Xerath glided towards her, "Your light will gain more unwanted attention long before mine. Why do you keep using that spell?"

Timidly halting the mesmerizing glow, she answered, "It's to help fight off the pain in my leg; I won't be going anywhere if the aching renders me motionless." She then hastily adds, "Champion Xerath, about what I said earlier…"

Annabella stopped, remembering his ugly rage that Caitlyn spoke of to her. The enforcer had gone to the edge of the river to clean some of the muck off her boots; she tried to listen in on the two of them over the sound of the rushing water.

"You do not have to explain yourself, summoner." Xerath coldly replied; _she's just like everyone else it seems…_

"No, you don't understand," Annabella discouragingly cried out, finally looking into his empty eyes, bringing her hands down gravely as fists, "I didn't mean to…I just…" she then lets the rest of herself lean against the rock, dropping Juniper.

He barely registered the orb rolling away as he watched her, staggering in his attitude. She closed her eyes tight, her soft long curls obscuring part of her features; she was entirely defeated as she quivered against the large boulder.

"…Kill me…" She asked hauntingly.

It took him a moment to realize what she pleaded, "Do it…please…you have no idea how much it will help you…" the summoner said, bringing her tear-filled eyes back up. His mind rapidly became a maelstrom of questions and bewilderment, "What?"

"Please, Champion," she muttered, "put me out of my misery…"

This small pitiful being he wouldn't have looked twice at suddenly brought his entire world crashing down on him.

She was one of the very few who had spoken to him without apprehension. He could actually bring up thoughtful questions without disconcerting himself over her fleeing away.

He lowered himself to the ground, their gazes locked on the same level. "Get up. You're the being who has persuaded me to come out here, so bring to a close of what you've started."

"I can't!" She wailed back, "I…can't…don't you get it? I'm going to shatter into pieces before we even arrive!" she then shakily reaches out to grasp Juniper, bringing it up to his face, "Because of this, because the orb is cracked, I won't make it!"

Annabella gritted her teeth together, more of her tears gently sloping down her cheeks. She had done more crying in the past two days than she felt comfortable with; this was something she was not expecting she'd have to endure.

Xerath then clutched the orb within her grip, silencing her frustration.

"Do not be so distressed in front of me. I will help you if you desire it so…" He gently lifted her back to her feet as she mutely followed, her cloak flapping chaotically around her.

"Here," Xerath affirmed, bringing a claw to the orb's surface; as he brushed over it, the gloomy fracture was filled with a serene azure energy until it turned the crack into a blue vein. "What did you do?" Annabella calmly asked, cupping Juniper within her hands.

"A part of me will assist in holding you together until I can find a way to help you out of…whatever predicament you have been caught in. It will not hold forever, though, since I don't know the spell used that created Juniper."

"Thank you." Annabella whispered.

He stood there quietly, momentarily reminded of the summoner's resemblance to his lost love.

He didn't chase the memory away, though. Instead, he allowed the remembrance to conquer him as he saw her beautiful yet handsome features. She had startled him out of one of his contemplations, always questioning why he wanted to pursue this power differently from other mages.

"_Because, Tabia,"_ he had tried to explain, each time not being able to get his thought completely across, _"with the magic infused to me, I could learn things beyond our wildest dreams and discover more ways to better our civilization. Just think about it! We would have all the knowledge of the universe at the tips of our fingers."_ She glared at him, not liking his obsessive rant.

"_You have already given much knowledge to this world. Why do you cling to such ideas that you need to give yourself up even more to satisfy this agonizing quest?"_ Tabia had always been a voice of reason to him, someone who would speak on equal terms with his baffling ideas.

But on that day, he felt her slipping away. As his body deteriorated, blue veins visible beneath his skin, she begged him to stop his pursuit. But he ignored her, believing so much good would bear fruit at the end of his hardship. He had began to wear his robe at all times, hiding the bandages that covered him.

Then he saw her once more within the Temple of the Falcon, a single crystal-like tear rolling down her pale cheek.

Horror struck as he watched her open her arms wide towards him, leisurely mouthing something as a massive statue of their ancestor slowly descended upon her.

"Tabia! NO!" he cried out, uselessly reaching out to grab her, but the monstrous spell was pulling him in, shredding his body in its hunger…

"Xerath?" Annabella alarmingly questioned, resisting the urge to touch his arm. He opened his eyes to see both of the women staring at him.

"We should stop here, as the summoner has suggested; it will hopefully give her enough energy for tomorrow." The enforcer said, unsure of what else to say as their earlier conversation had caught her off guard.

Caitlyn helped Annabella set up their desired temporary base, while Xerath stood watch, unhappy with the behavior he had recently displayed. As the summoner invited him over closer to the diminutive fire, he felt strangely at ease; nonetheless, he knew he should've been more cautious about what summoner Annabella had asked of him from before.

…_kill me…you have no idea how much it will help you…_

* * *

(Author's Note)

Yeah, I totally went there with the cliché moment XD but it was too good to pass up, since that was actually written within his reflection, not word-to-word, but close. I hope I have mashed your brains :D as to what is truly going on _heee hee hee_. I mainly wrote this chapter to help cover up any confusion about the relationship between Caitlyn and Xerath, since someone brought it (thankfully) to my attention (in time; I thank you very much!). Caitlyn is able to get away with prodding Xerath because of the unique relationship I'm forging between them. Obviously, you would never see the two being with each other within normal circumstances. I will (later on) have Xerath give his point of view of the enforcer. If anything, I hope this chapter gave a little bit more depth between them. More chapters are still coming (I'm probably going to keep saying that until there's no more). Enjoy!

(Disclaimer)

Robotic voice: I do not own League of Legends, settings, characters, etc.


	6. Chapter 6: Uncontainable

**Warning: _There is some gore; plus Xerath...well, you'll just have to find out what happened to the main protagonist ;p_**

**Suggestion: _If you want the full emotions I depicted in this portion, listen to "Two Steps From Hell" popular music _****_(or music _****_that would sadden your heart greatly...if you have one lol, jk jk...maybe)._**

* * *

"The temple is within a few hours from here. I'm sorry to have been the cause for our delay, though." The tattooed summoner apologized, throwing some twigs into the fire. Her left leg that bore the bizarre injury had gone almost numb as she took great effort staying upright.

Embers idly soared upwards, creating their own constellations among the bleak clouds. On one side of the greedy flames sat the enforcer and weary summoner. A few feet from them the magus stared evenly into the burning plasma, lost in thought.

His mind had resurfaced at the words of Annabella, lifting his stone helmet from his thinking position. She gazed longingly at him, the nightly orchestra interrupted again by her soft tone.

"Why do you stay by my side, even though you know so little of me? When Maliezek told me that I would need a mage like you to help, I thought only a miracle could bring such favor." Xerath stayed quiet as he watched her shift her cloak, bringing Juniper out.

When he gave no answer, she continued in a lesser voice, "You asked before why I chant that spell over and over again; I only spoke a portion of the truth. The Juniper Lotus is what temporarily releases me from my true unending pain…these damn markings that leech away my life…"

Caitlyn distantly listened to the sad, but frustrated pitch of the summoner. Her hat covered her eyes, hiding the displeasure that swam behind them. Xerath could not part himself from Annabella's troubled look; her eyes seemed to have been pleading again for him to take her life.

…_kill me…_

As the minutes dragged on with no one saying a word, Annabella finally rolled onto her side into a fetal pose, clutching Juniper into her chest. The fire began to dim as the more human members of the group fell fast asleep, leaving Xerath to dwell on her question.

_Why am I putting up with her? She's a lowly creatures who's goals are meaningless to me…_

…_Do it…please…_

Squinting his slits shut, Xerath stood up swiftly as he pulled the hood of his robe over his mask. He needed to figure out what was going on with Katarina attacking him, the sword disappearing, and the way his own power had defied him. As he strode off into the mangled forest he tried to find the link between the three.

_None of it makes sense. Katarina would not attack for she has higher responsibilities than her trivial hate towards me. And my magic…was the sword somehow at fault for not allowing me to summon my power?_

…_you have no idea how much it will help you…_

Seething inwardly, he lashed out against one of the trees, splitting off a huge portion of bark. The old tree caught fire and steadily began to die as the power bite eagerly into it; nothing seemed capable of quenching the arcane's thirst. _Why does that summoner refuse to see me as the monster that so many others have accepted me to be?_

She came to the forefront of his mind, crowding all other thoughts until every detail of her frail being flourished. The way her long auburn curls lifted when she turned, how she threw herself in harm's way to stop Katarina's overpowering attacks, _the way she smiles at me without fear…_

Xerath grasped the sides of his stone head, feeling he was on Summoner's Rift getting ready to die for the umpteenth time. But the foreign emotions that had blossomed within his core was so very different from pain.

He was truly afraid. He long discarded any real emotions he had maintained as a man, a mage that gave so much of his life to pursuing ultimate power. But he could barely recognize them now as they began to envelop his way of thinking.

_All that power…and now you are a prisoner...you sacrificed yourself, your people, and the woman you loved…all for power…_

"_**I WILL BE FREE!"**_ He yelled into the frosty air, some of the nightly tunes hushing momentarily. Xerath slumped his broken shoulders as he stared into the fire. With one swift motion of his claws, the magic went out, his empty sockets the only thing shining in the woods. _How could I possibly be feeling these human sentiments?_

As he made his way back, the forest had grown eerily quiet. Pushing a bush out of his way, he finally caught sight of the campsite.

Hesitantly, he glided over until he stood by Annabella's side, overwhelmed by how much she still affected him as she slept. Xerath gently brushed a strand of her hair off her cheek, resisting the urge to pull away. _**No one**__ can fill this gap that she left inside me…I'm better off alone…_

She had mumbled something in her sleep eliciting another heavy sensation within his core.

Without warning, large black figures fell prey onto them. Xerath pulled himself quickly up, smothering anymore thoughts of the summoner.

"_Caitlyn!_" He shouted as he struggled to form his energy sphere. _Dammit!_

As the enforcer scrambled to her gun, Xerath gave up on using his magic. _Of all times to go out on me…_ he thought resentfully, his arcane fist connecting solidly into a jaw. It sent the figure stumbling a few feet back, crying out in surprised pain.

Casting the robe from himself, his glow illuminated eleven men brandishing wicked knives and sleek guns. Caitlyn fired off three shots, dropping the same number of men in a spray of crimson. Part of the group quickly ganged up on her as she executed two more.

Punching another face in, Xerath could not spot one of the primitive bastards aiming at his back.

"Xerath! Look out!" Annabella cried out of nowhere. She could not bring herself to stand and fight, but she had another idea in mind. Chanting, she created the ethereal chains once more, grabbing a hold of several of the men's legs.

He barely dodged the gun fire aimed at him as the man staggered; thrusting a hand out, Xerath's blue claws seized his foe by the face and swept his body into the other bandits before hurling him out into the chilly water. Caitlyn made easy work of three more before falling to the ground as the man tried to wrestle her rifle away.

One of Annabella's chains wrapped around his waist pulling him up a few feet then slamming his gruff form into the dirt. As he tried to pick up his blade, more of the chains wrapped around him and constricted until the man could barely breath.

The last bandit desperately turned on the weak girl; he rammed the blunt of his weapon into her shoulder and swept her legs out from beneath her at the same time.

Before she could fall over, he tangled his callous hand deeply into her hair while taking a few feet back into the darkness. The man dug his gun deeply into Annabella's throat, cocking the trigger with a maniac expression. Both champions froze as the ugly man pulled the summoner cruelly to her feet.

"Do anything stup—!"

Xerath, in all his fury, grabbed the man's wrist and snapped it like a twig, forcing him to relinquish his gun.

Quickly letting her go, the bandit wasn't able to get far with coddling his broken arm as the magus took a hold of one of his legs and ripped it out from beneath him. The fool fell over, numbingly trying to stop himself from bleeding out, but Xerath felt no compassion.

Mercilessly, he burrowed his claws into the dying man's chest and hesitates. _This wasn't him…he should be researching, not killing…_

…_**kiillll thheeemmm aaallll…**_

Blood trickling down his mouth, the bandit died before Xerath could decide to take his life by force.

Snaking out of the Fifth Seal, the black runic markings returned, covering his arcane and enchantment. Releasing the corpse, the magus was forced into a stagnant pose as his thoughts began to slip underneath a dark veil. His body fluctuating dangerously, the enchantment shuddered as Xerath screamed; his voice had become the sound of pops and snaps of disjointed static.

Caitlyn had run to Annabella's aid, trying to pull her away from the gruesome fight when an earsplitting screech caught their attention. The two looked at him in bafflement, watching thick tendrils of arcane energy whip out from his body and chaotically smash the environment.

Caitlyn and Annabella hastily separated as one of the tendrils fell between them. Rolling on her stomach then to her feet, Caitlyn wasn't allowed to stay in one spot as more of the chaotic power lashed at her.

_What's wrong with him?!_ The enforcer fearfully thought, barely dodging a wraithlike vine. Slinging her rifle onto her back, Caitlyn kept evading, her muscles alive with adrenaline. She struggled to reach the summoner, but was forced back the moment she came in sight.

"_Annabella!_" Caitlyn yelled in alarm as she could suddenly see the summoner's frail form being flung into the air; her body was like a rag doll as it thumped sickeningly into the dirt before the crazed mage.

* * *

(In Xerath's mind…)

_Release me!_ Xerath shouted desperately into the darkness that consumed everything. He turned around quickly at the sound of laughter, the snickering and mocking tones of everyone he knew.

_**Thiisss is what you wanted…**_

Turning around again, he shouted frustratingly back, _No! I wanted the secrets of the universe, not to condemn everyone else!_

_**You're wroOOonngggg…**_ the voice taunted. Blue massive chains that were as ghostly as Annabella's spell plowed into the sarcophagus; he managed to break a few, but the ones he destroyed multiplied and took a hold of him again.

Suddenly in the distance of the devoid space, the hilt of a sliver and blue sword glowed. It had even more shackles attached to it, the other ends of them fading into the darkness. His questions then clicked into place, the answers so clear it made the magus cringe.

_You __**are**__ the one responsible for my magic going out!_

Laughing again, the sword whispered back, _**Correct, correccttt…although I'm not entirely the one at fault here…**_

Xerath's mind then flashed to Annabella and his core dropped.

_**Oh, please…that thing is too weak to be the reason why I'm here…**_it hissed.

Xerath strained to reach the sword, trudging throw dark sludge that came up to his stone thighs. As he reached out to grab the blade, a delicate light touched his shoulder. Turning around slowly, the blade grew angry in its' tone.

_**Leave him alone, you old hag…you mean nothing to him anymore…**_

As Xerath's gaze fell onto the light source, his mind heaved with great sadness. There standing next to him was his beloved, her long black hair dancing wildly around her. Blue serene eyes pierced his core as she shook her head back and forth gently.

The chains that clung to him began to disintegrate as he stared in awe at her.

…_Wake up…_she said in a sweet subtle voice, her golden robe constantly moving as if the wind was going to take her away. Shakily, he reached out a hand.

…_Wake up…_as his energy touched her, the world was suddenly filled with a chaotic assortment of lights, sounds, and moving objects. His vision returning, he was grasping his stone mask as arcane tendrils kept up their pursuit of Caitlyn.

On the ground in front of him laid a crumpled form, their gray robe hiding most of their body. He could barely detect the rise and fall of her left side as she curled in on herself.

Immediately, he retracted his violent magic, and wilted to the ground next her. Shakily extending his claws out again, he hesitates, curling them for a second. Gathering up his courage again, he reached out and touched her side; he felt something shift awkwardly beneath the robe. Tenderly, he lifts her into his arms, and stared dazed at the havoc that wrought her body.

Some of the bandages were scorched and torn, exposing sever fractures that enveloped her arm, from shoulder-to-hand, while the cracks along her calf stretched up to her stomach. On the right side of her neck, a smaller crack peeked out from behind her hair.

…_what have I…no…_ Xerath murmured desolately to himself, not sure of what to do. Annabella's brown eyes steadily opened, surprised to see the mage leaning over her. As she tried to sit up, wincing in pain, Xerath looked into her face, a mix of emotions brewing in his mind.

Caitlyn cautiously approached them, covering her mouth as her throat clenched with uneasiness at the damaged summoner.

"Are you…alright?" Annabella shakily asked, worried for the champions.

Xerath closed his slits at her bizarre question, shaking a bit. _Am I alright?! You should ask that of yourself!_ However, he replied calmly, "Yes.." Caitlyn slumped next to Annabella, removing her robe to cover the summoner's wounds as she shivered from the cold.

"What did you do to her…" the enforcer asked grudgingly; Xerath flinched at her voice, forgetting there was someone else there. Not able to hide the emotions in his own, he answered, "I didn't—"

"It's not his fault," Annabella intervened, the champions helping her sit up, "I was careless. I should have hidden…when the fighting happened…"

"It damn well is his fault! He flung you more than ten feet into the air!" Sagging his shoulders even more, Xerath looked away from them.

Then, without hesitation, Annabella embraced him, feeling the pulse of his power as it shivered through her. She had turned her head sideways, eyes closed tight as she cried bitterly to herself. "It's not your fault…"

The three sat there quietly, the champions more out of shock as a light drizzle started to fall from the heavens. Caitlyn looked up at the grey sky then to the mage, her expression weak with tension.

"What's wrong with her?"

Reviving his voice, "You heard the conversation from yesterday, correct?" Caitlyn nodded in affirmation.

"It's a curse that steadily devours the victim's life…she feared without her orb, she would die an earlier death…" Reaching into her satchel, Xerath pulled out Juniper; there were horrible cracks almost covering the entirety of its surface.

"How is it still holding together?" Caitlyn numbly questioned. Focusing, Xerath poured more of his arcane into the delicate object, making the cracks turn into veins. Annabella hadn't removed herself from him to take notice of what he was doing.

Both champions looked back to her worriedly as her shoulders suddenly relaxed too much.

"Summoner? Annabella…?!" Caitlyn shouted, the woman barely able muster the strength to move as she fell into a heap on the enforcer's lap.

"We need to go…the sooner I attain the artifact, the quicker I can be rid of the markings that ail her." He lifted her unconscious form into his arms. Caitlyn snuffed the fire, gathered his filthy robe and offered it to him.

"You need to wear this…If we run into anymore trouble, I'm not sure how much long she's going to last...," Regarding the cloak, he gently leaned the summoner against Caitlyn and pulled it on."Do you even know how to get there? Last I checked, she was the one giving us directions."

A soft mumbling was heard making them turn in surprise to the captured bandit as Caitlyn gave Annabella back to him. He had managed to avoid Xerath's chaos as he hid behind a shattered boulder. Caitlyn pulled him out and tossed him to the ground between them; the man was filled with dread as the champions glowered at his chained body.

"Please, don't kill me…I was…j-just following orders!" he squirmed, trying to sit up. Caitlyn grabbed the front of his shirt, bundling it up as she dragged him halfway to his feet, "Who gave you that order?"

The man brazenly smirked at her, making Caitlyn's skin crawl, "If you give me something in return, I'll tell ya." His smirk was altered into a shattered grimace as the enforcer connected her knee into his face.

Spitting out blood, he whimpered, "Some guy named Sethar, I swear!" Drop kicking him once more, the man was left knocked out as they made their way back onto the path. Xerath then answered her previous question.

"She told me to look for a tall black spire…although that will be difficult to discern in this darkness." The mage said, holding Annabella carefully as the trio kept moving forward.

"You know...for the longest time, I've been wanting to ask you why…you spared me from that summoner's temper…" Caitlyn brought up gently, hoping to not hear his authoritative voice again. When she was just about to give up pestering him for an answer, he audibly signed.

"You reminded me of…a close friend I had shared ties with long before you were born." As she scoffed at his claim, he continued, "The attitude I've seen you demonstrate were so very much like his…"

* * *

(Xerath speaking of past memory…)

_I was in a bit of a disarrayed state of mind— one could say—after my ascension. The temple laid in ruins around me while tall shafts of dark clouds burned high into the clear night sky. I hastily scrambled to a man I once called 'friend.' As I went through our small, but unsoiled town, many of those who I knew fled in fear as soon as they caught sight of me._

_Reaching his door, I was barely able to get a knock in when it quickly opened wide revealing a weak, but fearless man. He stared at me for about a second before closing the door behind me. I could not sit as I feared my power would melt everything; we just stared at each other until he brought a hand to the back of his head, scratching furiously._

"You actually did it…"_ He then went over to one of his windows, peering out at the panicked district. "_You shouldn't be here…who knows what they'll do if they catch you."_ Bringing his attention back to me, I could not help but frown at his small stature._

"**You certainly seem more afraid than me.**_"_

"Dammit, Xerath. I thought Tabia was going to pull you away from this madness." _At the mention of his sister's name, my light darkened. Even with this new form, I could not stop mourning for her passing. His posture suddenly dropped as he realized myself coming alone to his house._

"Oh God, no…" _my friend stumbled onto his makeshift table, brimming with research the two of us had conducted together. We were both meant to ascend, but he pulled out as the results of our progress became apparent through our blood._

"**I'm sorry, Denalik…there was nothing I could do…**_" I lied to him, hoping desperately he would not discern what truly happened as a cloud of emotions erupted onto my countenance. With my light flickering in denial, he was about to request something when a loud troubled voice disturbed us._

"High mage Denalik and High mage Xerath, please step out of the cottage._" Exasperated and hurt, he opened the door, looking defeated as the other high mages of Shurima ushered us out. I was quickly behind, forcing several of our brethren back._

"By command of the king, you are to be escorted to the Council for treason against the peace and sovereignty of this kingdom."_ I wanted to tell them they were all cowards for not admitting to taking us to our death. But he intervened..._

"Now hold on, we didn't do anything that would threaten our kingdom," _Standing defensively between myself and the other mages he bellowed_, "We have the right to pursue whatever magic is out there. Our pathway is just different from most."_ The other mages instantly became defensive, summoning a variety of different weapons and spells._

"Explain that to the Council for our fallen temple."_ One of them spitted. As I raised what were suppose to be my hands in a gesture of peace, they panicked. _

_"_Fire!"

_Their magic blew up on top of us, leveling the small house and a few others nearby. I tried to shield Denalik, but without a solid form, I could do nothing. Impulsively, I released a blast wave, sending the mages tumbling. _

_Kneeling onto the scorched ground, I gathered what was left of my friend, reeling in disbelief. His lower half was gone, incinerated by the engulfing flames while one hand resided over his heart. I pulsed my power into him, desperately trying to revive his broken body when he grabbed my wrist, disregarding the pointless help._

"**You must come with me. I can still help you ascend; we just need more runes to contain the magic...**" _His glassed over eyes starred deeply within my soul as he ignored my plea._

"Whatever you do…no matter what…don't...forsake the ones you love…" _I stared at him in bewilderment, for only himself and Tabia were all I cared about. How could he say something like that as he was dying in my arms?_

_With one last heave, he stopped breathing. I couldn't bear the lost of both of my closest companions dying on me within a twenty-four hour time period. So I lost myself to my grief...and my rage…_

* * *

They walked on in silence as Xerath finished speaking. Even the land around them was noiseless.

"…I didn't realize—" Caitlyn mumbled, only to be interrupted.

"That is exactly why I answered your request and shared this invaluable information," he snapped, still following the obscured trail, "so you will not think of yourself as being any greater when I tolerate you pushing me."

With a bit more loathing in his tone, he went on," Recognize there is an immense difference between us; if it wasn't for the fact you reminded me so much of someone I had once cared for, I would have sent you running the moment you found me."

Caitlyn, furious at his patronizing attitude, halted, "So I'm only alive right now because I exist in your horrid eyes as a living relic?" He turned around to face her, softening his gaze,

"That is…correct."

"I don't believe this! You would have never stopped that summoner, or saved me from his blades if I had just been myself, without the reminder of your dead boyfriend!"

Xerath's enchantment was twitching madly as he reigned in his fleeting rage; even in her anger, she reminded him of Denalik.

He then faced forward again and picked up his speed, leaving her to fume at his insensitive explanation. A few seconds later, she quickly caught up to him but traveled a few feet behind. He could almost feel her glare melt a hole into his head.

As they trudged on, unspoken hatred sparking between them, Xerath took little notice of the weather's decline. Caitlyn claimed her cloak back from Annabella, wrapping it tightly around herself.

"Xerath…" she frigidly stated, as if taking on Lissandra's personality, and pointed at a green light that seemed to be hovering in the sky. Moving quicker, the champions realized it was a radiant emerald flame sitting atop of a decrepit spire.

The wind suddenly changed directions, as if by force until it grew into an alarming gust. In the faint light created by Xerath's eyes and hands, a silhouette slowly appeared on the ground. Where they stood, it looked as if the dirt path was going to swallow them up.

However, besides the howling of the fierce wind, an unsettling creaking echoed.

"_Move!_" Was all Caitlyn could shout, a flurry of leaves falling down onto them.

* * *

**(Author's Note)**

Alright, guys, don't freak out on me. I have a very good reason for Xerath's confusion, love, emotions, etc. It's just going to take a bit to get there to show you. I don't really want to smash all the important events together, or (I think) it will make the story (a lot) more confusing. I understand if you don't like how I make him think or perceive the world,*ahem, _the summoner_*, or Caitlyn. But for a character like him who puts such a front on with the condescending attitude, he seems like someone to be in a constant state of pain (for obvious reasons). I just wanted to expose it more.

Thanks for reading the small rant (if you did) I just wanted to be clear about it. More chapters on the way ;D (yep, I said it again lol)

**(Disclaimer)**

In sad, rageface voice: I don't own League of Legends, environments, champions, etc. _I do own Annabella, Maliezek, Sethar, and (now) Denalik._


	7. Chapter 7: Pinned Down

**_WARNING:_****There is some cursing...and (maybe) some creepy ideology o.O Depends on how you see it (I think it's creepy though). Intense music best with this chapter.**

******_Edit: _**So anyone who read this when it first came out, I ask of you to read this passage again because I smoothed out most of the harsh writing so it blends better together. Plus I gave more information I forgot to include previously; enjoy ^-^)

* * *

"Xerath… is the girl…still in one piece…?" Caitlyn cried out between strangled coughs, a blinding mist of dust and leaves whirling around her.

Wiping the dirt from her eyes with the palm of her hand, Caitlyn strained to examine her disoriented surroundings as the all-consuming darkness blinded  
much of her vision. She couldn't tell where the mage was or the emerald flame that she previously pinpointed.

Steadily bringing herself up as she shook the debris from her torn cloak, her elbows skimmed against something cold. Turning slightly, Caitlyn brought a hand up to discern what it was; the material felt rough and worn, some of it peeling beneath her fingernails as she rubbed her gloved hand across its surface.

Reaching up, she could not find any sharp edges to it except another rough object angling out. She was certain that it was massive and probably responsible for almost crushing her and the other two. Speaking of them, why did Xerath not answer back yet?

Pulling away, Caitlyn felt for her rifle hoping it was still on her back; reassuring herself that it was attached, she removed her lavender painted hat, bushing off what was left of the debris and carefully wiped the grim from its lens. Growing increasingly impatient and worried that he didn't answer her, she placed her hat back on, tipping the front of it up, and cupped both of her hands around her mouth.

"Xerath!"

A few meters to her side she heard the rustling of fabric scuffing against dirt as a strange noise of rocks being crunched grew loud; wearily reaching for her  
gun, the sheriff guesstimated the source of the sound. The commotion quickly ceased and in its place grew a gentle blue glow that flickered in the darkness.

Some relief swept over Caitlyn, her grip relaxing as she looked intently at it, but the haze was too thick to see the entirety of his floating body. She began to jog carefully towards him through the darkness, slowing her pace a bit as she was reminded of his earlier sentiment.

Unexpectedly, his indigo light dashed rapidly away, flickering even more as it trekked deeper into the undergrowth.

Picking her speed back up, Caitlyn quickly went from jogging to sprinting as his light kept going further into the feral marshland. Ignoring the sharp stings of the surrounding foliage as they whipped her face and limbs, she sped faster after the fleeing magus.

"Wait!" she yelled, but he appeared to have been disregarding her completely. _I won't let you get away from me!_

The marshland began to thin out as a white fog leisurely swelled from the ground, slowly rising up to the level of her calves; she lost sight of him as he disappeared into the mist even though she was a few feet at the rear his every movement. Running past the crooked trees and into an open field, Caitlyn spotted his blue glow again.

A sheer drop yawned out to greet him, the fog rolling down it like a ghostly river as he sped towards it. In the same instance, Caitlyn caught a glimpse of the Serpentine River far in the distance as its radiance clashed against the night, the rain drizzling over everything as an unspoken witness.

Xerath finally slowed until he came to a rest at the edge of the cliff, his attention held forward. Caitlyn was becoming more confused about his sporadic behavior; the way he treated the summoner, his crazed attack on herself and the girl, and now this. She stopped a few feet away from him, the rain singing softly against her skin.

Something was off again with his form, but she couldn't place it. The only thing she was certain of was he didn't wear his cloak.

"Xerath," Caitlyn quietly spoke, raising her hands up cautiously in a none-threatening display, "I'm not sure what's going on with you, but I am…I am sorry about the contempt I expressed earlier. You can't really blame me for being angry at the notions you gave. I didn't think you would care about my reaction though when you told me…come on; let's go back so we can get this ordeal over with..."

Her voice sounded strained and out of place in the trancelike environment. His back still aimed at her, he made no motions of acknowledging her apology, or her voice.

Taking a few steps closer to Xerath, his body twitched viciously making her heart nearly jump in her throat. Gradually he turned to face her, Annabella held firmly in his arms as her body was completely hidden by a shredded and dirtied cloak. Caitlyn, to some extent, was relieved that he was finally responding, but alarm struck the moment she caught sight of his mask.

Instead of two blue empty sockets, a large amethyst rune resided like a decaying wound. The rune was of a pattern of simple lines with three circles in the center. Where the lines ended, small purple cracks expanded on the rest of his floating stones. The tips of his sarcophagus rested awkwardly on the ground, creating dents into the dirt. He slowly looked down at the sheriff and a deep unsettling hum echoed out of him.

As Caitlyn took a step back, black blurs rapidly zipped past her hat and into Xerath's shoulder, jutting out of him like needles; he only leaned back for a second then returned to his stagnant stance, the echo uninterrupted. Caitlyn whipped out her rifle and aimed it fearlessly in the direction of the thrown blades. A soft feminine chuckle reverberated around them as if to complement the sheriff's actions.

"What a bizarre sight to see," the voice smoothly taunted, Caitlyn searching the area with narrow eyes, "I never figured someone like you to be with him. Let me guess, he offered you something…powerful?" Caitlyn raised up her rifle threateningly, masking her expression as she twisted hastily to face the sinister blade. Her body seemed to have been born of the night as she emerged a few meters away from the sheriff.

Several seconds of silence past until, "Don't you have responsibilities to uphold?" Caitlyn scorned; she dexterously reached her finger to the trigger,  
undetected by the assassin.

"I should be asking that of you. And I happen to be maintaining my duties just fine, as you can see." Katarina coyly mocked, crossing her arms. A moment of confusion passed over Caitlyn's countenance, her guard lowering just a little. "What are you talking about? Your duties lie to the League, not here… unless…"

One hand then rested lightly against her hip as she sauntered over to stand before Caitlyn, spinning one of her long swords around that wasn't there a moment ago, "What do you think I'm actually here for? To observe the fucking landscape? Hell no to that." She then jabbed a finger out at Caitlyn, resting her spinning blade against her wrist, "Get her."

In one fell swoop, the unsettling Xerath was behind Caitlyn, wrapping one arm around her small form. His energy moved the fog wildly, but it felt cold instead of the intense heat Caitlyn had come to recognize during matches.

Turning around, she instinctively rammed the blunt end of her rifle into his mask, making the mage falter. As his footing was unstable, Caitlyn brought her leg around in a round house assault, kicking him a few feet away. Xerath dropped the summoner in the process of the scuffle, the ground rumbling slightly as he fell over.

The summoner cracked against the ground and rolled over several times until she came to rest at Caitlyn's feet, her body motionless. As the fog momentarily billowed away, Caitlyn was horrified seeing what was supposed to be Annabella's face was instead another large strange rune.

She took several steps away from the three, her knuckles white as she clenched her gun.

"Well, I'll be honest," Katarina leisurely stated, unsheathing her other large blade, "I thought the bastard was going to put up a better fight than this."

The mist coiling upwards, Xerath charged into Caitlyn's side forcing her to stumble until she caught herself, a hand balancing her against the hidden ground. As she steadied herself, he threw a left hook where her face was moments before. Quickly ducking, one hand bracing her hat, he brought one of his legs up sharply, the edge of the sarcophagus skimming against her cheek as she pulled away again.

The two almost seemed to be dancing as she dodged and he attacked. Without wasting a second as he repositioned his fists, Caitlyn pushed all her weight into his chest forcing him to tumble backwards.

Falling abruptly on his back, a long jagged rock brutally ruptured through his center like an abandon spear completely hidden by the fog.

_I need to go back now!_

Blinking several times, Caitlyn spun towards the tree-line and thought out a map of the best routes to get back to the trail. Before she was able to take a few more steps, Katarina flashed in front of her, a smirk contorting her battle-scarred face. "So why is someone of your 'stature' traveling with him?"

Both held their weapons defensively, Caitlyn itching to leave as soon as possible. "It is the business of the Council and only on a need-to-know basis."

"Oh come on, that's not what I was hinting at. Isn't there something 'going on' between you two?"

Caitlyn's anger slowly boiled to the surface at her insinuation. Taking on a cold demeanor, she glared fiercely at Katarina, "Why must you care? Should I be asking that of you with one of the Demacian champions?"

Katarina's smirk faltered for only a second; they squared off quietly, a soft gust lifting their hair as well as the edges of Caitlyn's torn robe.

In the next second, there was a flurry of blades and gunfire setting the night air ablaze. They entwined several times as Katarina dashed into Caitlyn's face, her blades barely missing the sheriff's arteries as she was deflected by her rifle. Nonetheless, Caitlyn was quickly being nicked across her body for every  
time she dodged any serious damage, some of the superficial wounds drawing beads of blood.

Leaping away from the sinister blade, Caitlyn threw down several jagged traps and fired her gun off twice. One bullet missed as Katarina stooped and sprinted towards her again, but the other shredded against her left arm.

Katarina winced as pain flooded into the wound Xerath had inflicted on her days before; she noticed that his other lightning strikes afterward the first were much weaker but enough to force her back. The rune she'd been using to heal herself was tedious against her arm as the damage ate away at her eagerly, only being slowed as the healing struggled to neutralize it.

Knuckles pale, Katarina gracefully danced over Caitlyn's traps and crossed her blades as she lunged for the sheriff's throat once more. She threw up her rifle in time as the blades connected, struggling to hold Katarina at bay. They stood there for a few seconds, each bracing against the other. Quickly jumping away, the assassin went on the offense again.

Without hesitating, Caitlyn threw down an extra trap as she rolled to the side, barely dodging another volley of sharp edges. Katarina effortlessly stepped over the obstruction and threw another onslaught of her daggers, the fog spiraling around her in a complex ripple of patterns.

Using the momentum of her first gunshot to dodge the assault, Caitlyn swung her rifle around in a full arc and blasted her most powerful bullet at Katarina, the recoil forcing her a few inches back. The assassin countered it hastily as she launched herself into the air, the fog trailing behind as she threw a short blade to intercept the bullet's line of fire; the projectiles impacted against each other flawlessly.

Landing with poise, Katarina's mocking gaze pierced Caitlyn as each readied their attacks again, neither of them drained from the scuffle.

_This is taking too long…_ Caitlyn tentatively realized. She needed to get back to the actual Xerath before anymore chaos wished to transpire.

"Why are you fighting so hard to keep me from going back?"

Katarina kept her weapons raised and aimed at Caitlyn as she smirked once more, "Killing you would have some annoying consequences with my status. All that was required of me anyways was to—oh, wait, why should I tell you?" She taunted, trying to feign innocence as she brought a finger up to her chin, one blade still thrust out at the sheriff.

"I knew it…" Caitlyn gritted her teeth, signing to herself as she swung her rifle over on to her back, returning it to its resting position. Rolling her shoulders several times, Caitlyn walked towards the battle ready assassin.

"What? Giving up so soon?"

Caitlyn elevated her head into an authoritative pose as she fluidly stepped past the red-haired woman, "I don't have time for this."

Katarina choose instead to not attack and lowered her weapons, her voice serious, "You're better off not going to him; getting involved in the situation that abomination is in right now will cause you trouble beyond belief."

Caitlyn came to halt behind the assassin, her head angled sharply to the side, "And what do you know of the situation? Are you going to tell me who sent you to stop me, or do you actually know what's going on with him?"

Katarina spun around to face her, arms crossed as some of her natural mocking attitude returned, "I'm not at liberty to tell you who or what I know."

Looking away, Caitlyn signed, "In other words, you have no idea what is going to happen, and possibly no idea of what you did to Xerath."

Leisurely bringing her hands to rest at the back of her head, Katarina snorted to herself as she looked up into the bleary clouds that made up the night sky, "He's getting what he deserves. Do you even have any substantial proof to prove me wrong?"

Heading forwards again, a small grin flashed across Caitlyn's face, "I have my reasons, and that's enough."

Caitlyn then waved at her as she stepped past the eerie undergrowth, "You're not going to stop me from going; either stay out of my way or help me with detaining that troublesome mage." After a few seconds, Katarina exhaled quietly as she sheathed her blades and gradually followed after Caitlyn.

"Just because I'm not wiping the ground with your face right now doesn't mean you're getting away."

The sheriff just nodded her head accepting the future challenge. Several more seconds past before Katarina spoke up seriously again, "We both have fought side-by-side with the 'abomination'. You know he doesn't give two shits about who he's with whether that's on or off the fields. Why are you being so unusually defensive of him when he sees you like the rest of us?"

Pausing only for a moment, Caitlyn kept up her pace as she spoke her words carefully.

"I'm not really being defensive, I'm just currently trying to complete another objective…and you're wrong about Xerath…although he clearly doesn't express himself except in the most patronizing ways, he does care. There's a lot more to him than you will ever realize." Her thoughts flickered over to the painful memory he had willingly shared with her.

…_a lot more than even I realized…_

She picked up her speed again as the green flame appeared in the sky, Katarina close on her heels.

* * *

Xerath dashed forward at Caitlyn's troubled warning, throwing up one of his forearms to shield himself and the summoner as chunks of raining bark and large  
shattered branches touched down all around them. The dirt trail was shifting horribly, forcing him to glide about precariously as several massive branches condemn the soil in front of his sarcophagus.

Hastily, Xerath swiveled to the left side of one and spotted a meager opening through the chaos. Hundreds of stone slabs jutting up menacingly, many obscuring his path, the magus rushed to his small goal.

One of the branches skidded a few feet and drifted crookedly from the ground, violent magic rippling through it. Unseen, it abruptly lifted high into the air like twisted claws as it broke into the nearby foliage, and plunged deep bellow his left shoulder plating.

Surprised, Xerath tried to release Annabella gingerly, the impact from the branch forcing both of them downwards. She descended onto a patch of uneven soil beneath him, nearby serrated rocks slicing into her robe as the confusion never missed a beat.

The stray branch continued to tear a pathway through him until it penetrated the uneven rock, barely missing Annabella's damaged leg.

Bracing one set of claws next to her head as he defensively arched over her unconscious body, the branch gradually settled further into the ground. The unpleasant hole he bore within him now nearly separated his stone mask from the rest of his left arm. Xerath's other hand was digging into the branch, creating long jagged marks as it went further down. The heat from his arcane increasingly burned away the bark as he allowed what little control he maintain over his magic to penetrate it.

He was somewhat comforted that he could not fell such vast pain on the physical level as he knew an impact like this on mortal flesh would've killed a man instantly, tearing his body asunder.

As the disorienting uproar of snapping bark and newly elevated rock grew hushed, Xerath looked about hesitantly, his blue glow reflecting off of the changed scenery. Swiveling his mask around several times, he observed the cause of a fallen immense tree whose years were countless, had pinned his stone prison.

Greenish-blue leaves fluttered lazily around the two, blinding the rest of his view of the surrounding environment. He looked forward again, frustratingly trying to scout out what was supposed to be the dirt trail.

Snapping his attention to the summoner, he slowly lifted his hand from the ground and smoothly tugged the top of her hood off.

One cheek resting in a pile of dirt, golden-brown hair concealed her expression as she gave him no response. Tenderly, he placed one claw underneath her chin and rotated her face towards him so he could see her full appearance; portions of her long hair tumbled down, a gentle wind lifting it a bit.

A new crack as fragile as an egg shell snaked across the dip of her nose and over her forehead, disappearing into the crown of her hair; her eyes didn't even  
flutter at his touch. He could barely even register the rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to breathe. A powerful sickening sensation began to build  
within him. He wanted to cast the feeling away, to empty his mind back into its former self where he did not have to contend with such emotions.

_Where was the sheriff?_ He suddenly realized as he forcefully pulled his attention away from the tattooed girl.

Looking about urgently for his female comrade, no one else was visible around them. The tree was still burning within his grasp as he looked about until he felt an overwhelming shockwave travel through him. The magic he had released was flickering again, allowing the branch to travel a few more inches down.

Xerath hastily grabbed Annabella's leg and the edge of her cloak and pulled her towards the right side of him as a chunk of the branch almost punctured her. It then settled again, letting him bring up his other hand and tear the wood apart_._

_"…Xerath..."_ cried out a distant voice, nearly carried away by the soft wind. _Was that Caitlyn?_

He had momentarily stopped and craned his mask around again, raising his own voice, "Sheriff, we're over here!" He strained to hear her respond back, but only the wind answered him. Irritated, he feverishly went back to tearing the branch apart as he did not like the position that he was forced into.

Suddenly, out in the distance in front of him, a soft yellow light sluggishly bounced towards them, bobbing up and down as it came nearer.

He stopped to assess the situation he was in if that was another group of hired bandits: his magic was failing him, he was pinned to the ground, and the summoner was still out cold.

They would make easy work of her if he couldn't stop them, and possibly be stuck in this horrid jungle of a marshland for a while if Caitlyn decided to leave him here until she came back with help. He was fairly certain she wouldn't leave, though he wondered.

As the light was ten meters away, Xerath's sarcophagus rippled as he tried to take himself apart and out of the branch. But with his magic refusing to cooperate, the enchantment just shuddered.

Disgusting thoughts began to vex him as his mind spiraled down into dark corners of unspoken things…_what if they rape her repeatedly before slitting her throat, chortling as they tortured her…? What if they leisurely bleed her out in front of me, staining me with every drop of her blood…? What if I can't do anything except watch…? I'll kill them all if they try to touch her…wait…why am I even defending her?!_

"Hello? Anyone out here?" drifted a masculine tone from the light source, halting his dark contemplations as he looked upon the man. Leisurely, Xerath waved one of his hands, beckoning the obscured man over to him as the light stopped bouncing.

He just stood there star-struck as he stared upon the awkward scene, a woman beneath a blue sentient who was immobilized by a large charred tree branch.

"Bless the gods! Champion Xerath," the man said as he scrambled over to them, a lantern held up cautiously as he navigated over the turbulent landscape. Dropping to his knees before the two, he took Annabella's pulse as he continued speaking, "Took me a moment to realize what I was looking at. I wasn't expecting your arrival until tomorrow!"

"You must be Mage Maliezek. I take it the temple is close by?" Xerath replied, noticing the man's demeanor tensing a bit.

He was of average built for a mage, short black hair covering his head while a pair of dark blue glasses rested on the edge of his tan nose. Trimmed in fine expensive clothes, lime colored slacks were complemented by a shirt made up of light creamy hues of blues and purples as it all resided within a white robe. The robe, covered in special patterns and runes inscribed across its surface came to rest at his feet which were clothed in exquisite boots.

Besides the lamp, the only thing he carried with him was a small satchel which looked to be brimming with untold secrets…_it seems mages of this era choose to carry their supplies with them at all time._ Xerath thought as he compared him to Annabella.

"Yes, that is I. The tower is not shy of perhaps half a mile. I had heard a loud commotion outside of one of my quarters, and noticed one of the key ancient Giinwalic trees missing. It's not something you just easily look over, especially if you―" Xerath raised one of his hands to silence him as he persisted ripping apart the branch.

"Pardon the interruption, but I am in need of a special Hextech tool to get me out of this…predicament. Do you have any on your person?"

Maliezek looked at him a weirdly as he stopped pulling Annabella out, "Can you not come apart and move away by yourself?"

Extremely annoyed, Xerath's emotionless behavior returned, "Answer my request, or you will greatly regret inquiring that…"Maliezek ducked a little at his icy tone as he searched his satchel. With relief, the Noxian mage brought out a device as small as a pen and as silver as the full moon.

"Here." He steadily said as he held the device out in front of him. Xerath quickly plucked it from his grasp, pushed a tiny red button that resided on one side, and aimed the open end of it at the branch. A winding noise resonated until a sharp high pitched blare belched out an acidic green laser.

The laser shot through the tree branch and into one of the new larger boulders for only a mere second. From the penetration point on the tree, a green cracked pattern blossomed across its surface until it enveloped the ashen bark. Xerath pulled his arm away with a strong yank, the branch crumbling into ash.

After returning the powerful device to its owner, he pulled his shoulder back into its rightful position while flexing his claws, asking, "Have you seen another woman? She's also a champion and was traveling with me and the girl. You would perhaps know her by the name of Den―excuse me, Caitlyn."

Xerath hesitated at mentioning her name as he thought of his long lost friend. _I __should refrain from…thinking of the past…though it will probably not stop pursuing me…_

"Yes,I have; in fact she was with me a few moments ago." The magus became puzzled at this response. She was with _him_ only moments before the tree fell; how could she have been with this man? Before Xerath could question Maliezek's answer, Caitlyn stepped eerily out from the darkness, her hood covering the majority of her face. The only thing he could see was her peachy skin and rosy lips.

"…I take it you could not find your hat?" He pointed out to her, feeling quite mystified seeing her without one of her more noticeable clothing traits. In every battle, she had adorned herself with it, except perhaps when she was forced into different clothing, and even then, not once did he see her not wear a hat.

She just grunted at his inquiry, her rifle held firmly in her grip. Xerath became even more baffled at her continuous silent behavior as she wasn't asking any questions of himself or Maliezek. She wasn't even looking at Annabella; her attention was only glued to him. _She must still be furious about what I told her from before…_

"Ah, there you are. Come, I will take you to the tower so we may perhaps complete the objective quicker that I have requested your presence for. Time is of the essence." Maliezek picked up his lantern, glanced once at Annabella with half closed eyes, and quickly made hast for their destination. Even though he helped remove her from beneath Xerath, Maliezek gave little regard for her wellbeing.

"So it is..." Xerath huffed. Caitlyn was swiftly behind Maliezek, ignoring the magus and summoner. Not letting his emotions surface again, Xerath stooped down to pick up Annabella.

"…Do not…go…" Came a soft whisper as he lifted her up. Xerath froze in his mind when he looked down at her crumpled form, her eyes not even open but moving frantically about behind her eyelids. Pain and fear etched every part of her face. Annabella's mouth was moving again, but he could not make out her speech. Lowering his mask next to her lips, she gently spoke again.

"It is…a―"

Hurry up arcane Champion! I can't do all of the important research by myself; that is why I have requested for you, after all!" The Noxian energetically yelled back. If Xerath was capable of human facial expression, the Noxian would have seen a very displeased visage.

He looked back to Annabella, pulling her hood gentle across her face as a gust of wind brushed some leaves against her cheeks.

"What? What were you going to say?" Xerath quietly asked, but she gave no reply as she laid motionless once more in his arms, expression twisted still in fear. Signing inwardly, He quickly followed after the sheriff and Noxian.

* * *

_(Author's Note)_

So sorry this chapter took forever to release; I had to scrap the conversations several times. I hope you readers enjoy this bit! More good stuff on the way. ^-^)

_(Disclaimer)_

I do not own anything of LoL, settings, characters, etc. except my love for the game :D


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